Light of Redemption
by TheLastMessage
Summary: Gareth and Lux were polar opposites, or so it appeared. He was a serious summoner, while she was a champion who never seemed down. As the two grow to know each other, soon the walls between them begin to crumble, leading to an ever-strengthening bond. On the conflict-riddled continent of Valoran however, nothing is absolute. OCxLux
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

As the setting sun cast a red glare over the grounds of the Institute of War, a lone, robed figure approached the Institutes steps. The figure lowered its hood, revealing long, black hair and a tanned complexion. The man was in his early 20's, with a small, yet muscular frame. Standing at only five and a half feet tall, he was far from imposing, yet an air of seriousness emanated from him. He had piercing, coffee brown eyes, adding to his rather grim look. His name was Gareth, and he was here to become a summoner. He had traveled hundreds of miles to get to where he stood now, and he knew that his goal was within sight. Breathing in the crisp autumn air, he gazed up at the grandiose structure before him, taking it all in. The Institute of War was a massive building, truly a sight to behold. The entire structure was lined with pillars that stretched from base to roof. Large square columns sporting floating blue crystals stood on either side of the stairway. It must have been at least 60 feet tall, its width stretching for hundreds of feet in either direction. Fluorescent blue lines traced out elegant patterns along the fascia of the structure. Despite the red glare of the setting sun, the building itself seemed to give off a violet glow. The surrounding landscape was comprised of massive trees and rocky outcroppings, both adding to the mystical feel of the place. Gareth whistled softly, finding it hard to believe he had made it this far. Yet this was only the beginning. He still had to make his way through the challenging process of becoming a summoner. As he gazed up the steps, he recognized a figure step- no, _float_- out of the massive entryway. It was a beautiful woman, with long, blue hair that flowed into blonde. She wore a blue dress with gold accents that revealed her shoulders and upper chest. But perhaps the most noticeable thing about the woman was the stringed instrument she had with her, seemingly floating of its own accord. The woman scanned the grounds, searching for several seconds before spotting Gareth. Upon seeing him, she rushed down the steps, gliding gracefully over them. Had she been walking like a regular person, she most likely would have tripped. Gareth himself began to ascend the steps, meeting the woman a quarter of the way up the stairs. The woman flung herself into Gareth's open arms, nearly knocking him over.

"Whoa there Sona," he said. "I'm here to be a summoner, remember? Not to break my neck."

Sona Buvelle made a show of giggling, flashing a smile at Gareth. She grabbed his hand and began running her finger along his palm, spelling out words. She had been mute since birth, unable to utter a sound. '_I'm so glad that you made it!' _She spelled out.

Gareth allowed himself a small grin. "Of course I made it! Would I lie?" he asked

She smiled again and shook her head, embracing him again, the strange instrument floating behind her.

He returned the embrace, before asking, "Shall we walk?"

Sona nodded, and they began walking up the stairs in silence. To some, it may have appeared that the two were lovers, but their relationship was really more like one of close siblings. The two had been taken in at the same adoption house in Ionia. While many of the other orphans had ignored Sona due to her inability to speak, Gareth had befriended her, and the two became close. That was when she had started using the palm-writing to communicate. Neither of them knew their real parents. Unfortunately, the same inability to speak that had intrigued Gareth seemed to turn away possible adopters. Gareth himself had been selected for adoption several times, but refused to go until Sona was adopted as well. They both remained at the adoption home well into their teens, until one day, Sona was adopted Demacian noblewoman. The day that she was adopted was one of the saddest, yet happiest days of Gareth's life. While sad to see her go, he was glad beyond belief for her future. Their goodbye had been short and sweet, with her tearing up and him promising to find her as soon as he could. He had kept good to his word, asking around until a year ago when he found where she had settled. He wrote to her often ever since then, and for the first time in years he was graced by her presence again.

Gareth gazed at the instrument floating alongside Sona. Apparently, it had been this instrument that had captivated the wealthy Demacian woman. He had heard that it was called an etwahl.

Finally, he broke the silence. "So I hear that you and that instrument of yours have been making quite a name for yourself. They're calling you 'The Maven of the Strings'"

She turned to him and nodded, blue eyes sparkling. She playfully strummed a chord on her instrument, demonstrating its heavenly sound.

"That's fantastic, Sona. I knew that you'd be great. A famed musician and even a champion of the League! It's extraordinary!"

Again she smiled at him, taking his hand and writing as they walked. '_Even through all of it, I never stopped wondering what happened to you. When I got your letter a year ago, I was so ecstatic. I never thought I'd hear from you.'_

"Never?", Gareth asked. "Sona, I'm hurt", he said, feigning a pained look.

She playfully slapped him on the arm, and he laughed. The two continued walking, conversing until they finally entered the building.

Upon entering, Gareth felt like a belt was needed to keep his jaw from making a crater in the floor. Everywhere he looked there was something new. Huge statues bathed in magical light were scattered throughout the massive entry hall. Large magical projections were showing League matches being fought, recorded by the vision wards placed out by summoners. Whether they were live or simply replays, Gareth couldn't be sure. Beings of every sort milled around, big and small, tall and short, human and…other. He saw several summoners, discernible by their hooded purple summoners robes. He gaped as a very large Minotaur walked by, snorting as he passed. He remembered reading about the minotaur, whose name was Alistair. The purple minotaur was a champion of the League, as well as a resident and guard at the Institute of War. As he looked around, he recognized other champions that he had read about in his studies. He saw Blitzcrank, the Great Steam Golem clank by, his large golden frame emitting puffs of steam. The sound of hearty laughter drew his attention to the left, where he spotted the Saltwater Scourge, Gangplank, laughing and slapping a summoner on the back, nearly knocking the poor boy over. It seemed that they had been on the winning side of a match. Gareth also spotted a little mummy wrapped in green linens, shuffling along while sobbing his eyes out. He recognized the little champion as the Sad Mummy Amumu. He figured that the mummy must've lost, until he remembered reading about how Amumu often cried for no reason.

Sona noted the look on Gareth's face and smiled. It was quite amusing to see, although she remembered that her first reaction had not been much different. She grabbed his hand, snapping him out of his trance. She then wrote '_Shall we go to see the council?_'

Gareth nodded at her, still a little speechless. They walked to the end of the grand hall, passing several other smaller hallways that branched off into deeper parts of the building.

"Dear God," breathed Gareth. "Even if I make it to summoner, I'm gonna get hopelessly lost in here." It was the truth; he had seen villages smaller than this.

'_Don't worry, I'll be glad to show you around. And what do you mean even if? You are going to become a summoner.' _wrote Sona.

The friends reached a pair of very large wood and iron doors, just as grand as anything else in the building. The sign next to it read "High Council of Equity."

'_How do you feel?' _asked Sona

"Honestly," replied Gareth, "I'm nervous as all hell. I hope they got my letter, I doubt they have time for someone barging in without prior notice."

'_Don't worry, I checked myself. They know you are coming." _wrote the Maven.

Gareth took a deep breath. "Well, wish me luck." He could feel his heart racing. Thoughts of doubt began to enter his mind, but he willed them away. He couldn't let doubt interfere not now.

'_Luck is something you don't need. You have a good heart, and that's all it takes' _stated Sona. She gave him a reassuring smile, clasping his had in both of hers. Her eyes shone as she looked into his, and he knew that she was there for him,

"Thank you," he said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "You've always been there for me, and I thank you." He gave her one last grin, and then released her from his embrace. He stood, facing the doors, knowing that his future depended on the decision made by the three council members behind those doors. He knew that now more than ever, he would have to be strong, that he would have to have no fear. He took one last deep breath, and without looking back, pushed past the large doors and into the council room.

He strode into the room, observing as much as he could without appearing too curious. He was bathed by a soft blue glow emitted by strange floating blue orbs. Before him stood three tall podiums, most likely the place where the council members stood. He noticed however, that no one else was in the room. His heart began to beat faster, his palms growing sweaty. Had there been a mistake? Was he supposed to alert someone when he entered the building?

'No,' he thought. 'Sona brought me straight here, she wouldn't lie to me.' He walked to the middle of the room, where on the floor was a circle of runic inscriptions that were glowing blue. He stood there for several seconds, wondering what was wrong. He felt the doubt begin to creep into his mind, and again he willed it away, although it was noticeably harder this time. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a peculiar whooshing noise. He turned back around and saw a green light emanating from each of the three podiums. He had to cover his eyes as the light intensified, ending a flash of magical light. When Gareth opened his eyes, he saw that on each podium now stood a robed figure. Their robes were similar to standard summoner wear, except for several gold accents and streaks on the sleeves and hems. Obviously, these were the the High Council Members.

Gareth suddenly felt very small. "What should I do?" he wondered. Should he bow? Or perhaps he should introduce himself. Unable to decide, he ended up doing the next thing he could think of: nothing.

He stood for several seconds, growing more and more nervous. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask how to proceed, the silence was broken.

"Gareth," boomed a voice. "We understand that you wish to become a summoner. Is this correct?"

"Yes. Yes it is," replied Gareth. He could feel his confidence returning, a feeling that made him stand a little taller.

"Very well," said the voice- which Gareth now noted was actually three voices speaking in unison. "We then request that you close your eyes and open your mind."

Gareth felt his confidence fade again. "Ex…excuse me?" he asked

"All prospective summoners must go through a mind reading process. We must make sure that all summoners are responsible and have good intentions. The League of Legends is a powerful force. It governs the outcomes of conflicts; it is what decides the fate of nations. Not just anyone can become a summoner." answered the voice.

Gareth felt like he had been punched in the gut. This was the last thing he needed. There were many things in his past that he did not want seen; things that he was sure would destroy his chances of ever becoming a summoner for the League. There was a reason he had not brought up his life after Sona had been adopted. He couldn't go through with this, his checkered past would surely work against him. What was he to do? He felt helpless. Had he known about this mind reading process, he never would have come. His dreams of becoming a summoner were shattering right in front of him. He felt his knees grow weak, and he began to feel sick. He was about to crash down to his knees and give up, when he recalled Sona's last words to him.

'_Luck is something you don't need. You have a good heart, and that's all it takes'_

Closing his eyes, Gareth took a deep breath. He had to trust Sona, she would never mislead him. "Ok," said Gareth. "Go ahead."

Almost instantly, he felt as though his mind was being invaded. He could feel the High Summoners probing his mind, searching every nook and cranny for anything to deny him entrance to the league. He did his best to relax, trying to erase all the fear that he felt. Eventually he just let the fear flow, knowing that fighting it was futile. For what felt like an eternity, the high council methodically picked apart his mind. Gareth began to wonder if all of this really was necessary when all of the sudden, his feeling of mental privacy returned. He had to try very hard not to audibly sigh in relief. At least that was over. All that was left now was a verdict. He looked upwards at the center podium, standing a bit taller now that the mind screening was over. For a moment or two, there was nothing but silence. Finally, the loud voice spoke.

"Interesting. Tell us Gareth, what is it that has inspired you to become a summoner?"

Gareth froze. Was this another part of the process for becoming a summoner? There was nothing he could think of except to tell the truth. Without hesitation, he began to speak.

"When I was younger, I never knew my parents. I was raised in an Ionian adoption house, along with one of your champions, Sona. When I finally left the adoption house at the age of fifteen, the first thing I tried to do was track down my parents. I searched archives, asked around, looking for any clues that would lead me to them. It took me a few years, but I finally found them. Unfortunately, what I had found was not what I desired." He paused, taking a deep breath. He felt his heartbeat increase for what seemed like the hundredth time. Clearing the fog that began to creep into his mind, he continued.

"I did indeed find my parents. Or rather, I discovered their fate. They had both fought against Noxus in the Noxian Invasion of Ionia. Unfortunately….neither one of them survived. It would seem that they were victims in a field test of chemical weapons deployed by Noxus. I heard… I heard that there were barely enough of them left to bury."

"So you are joining the League to combat Noxus?" questioned the voice.

"No, not at all," responded Gareth. "It's not the Noxian's that I feel anger towards. It is conflict itself. And I figured what better way to mediate conflict than become a summoner with the League? Keeping war off of the face of Valoran is my true goal, and I believe that becoming a Summoner will be the best way for a common man like me to help."

Had that been a good enough answer? It had certainly been the truth.

Again, there was silence, and again, the voice broke it. "Very well. Congratulations Gareth, Welcome to the League of Legends!" With this, there was a great flash of brilliant light, and Gareth found himself garbed in purple summoner's robes.

Gareth could hardly contain himself. "Thank you very much, High summoners." He bowed and turned to leave, but the council's voice stopped him

"Summoner Gareth, about your dark past…" said the voice. Gareth froze in his tracks, afraid of what he might hear next.

The voice continued. "While it has not prevented you from becoming a summoner, it would be wise for you to keep it to yourself. Word travels around the League like wildfire, and that information could certainly win you some enemies."

Gareth pondered this for a moment before speaking. "Duly noted," was all he had to say before walking back out the doors without looking back.

Outside of the door, Sona stood waiting, plucking at her etwahl. She heard the doors creak, and turned to see Gareth striding out wearing his purple robes. She was overcome with glee and threw herself at him, much in the same way she had when they first reunited on the Institute steps.

Gareth smiled as he once again hugged Sona, finally realizing what he had just achieved. "I made it!" he proclaimed.

"_I knew you would!" _said a voice in his head. Puzzled, Gareth looked around. Where had that voice come from? Suddenly, it dawned on him and he looked at Sona. "Sona," he said, "You spoke!"

The beautiful sound of laughter filled his head. _"Yes," _said Sona. _"As a Summoner, I can now communicate with you via telepathy." _Her voice sounded heavenly, soft and smooth.

"Haha, this is fantastic!" said Gareth. "Although I may miss the hand writing a bit."

Sona grasped his hand and began to write. '_Well for old time's sake, we can use it every now and then, right?'_

Gareth chuckled. "Of course we can," he said. Glancing around, he wondered what to do first. Honestly, he didn't care. He was on a high that would take a long, long time to come down from. Unable to decide on a course of action, he turned to Sona.

"So…about that tour?"

She smiled at him and nodded. Then, taking his hand, she sped off into the grand hall, dragging him behind her.

**Author's Note**

So here goes nothing! My first fan fiction. After many sleepless nights, some sitting around, a 6 hour drive and return trip, I've decided to just lay it all out. this first bit doesnt really Delve into the main relationship, but builds up the some info on the main character and his past. Please please _**PLEASE**_leave **ANY** constructive criticism. Also, if anything that conflicts with some lore or something is in there, let me know. A guy can only figure out so much on his own, especially with the college stuffs.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The sounds of battle rang through the air. Swords clashed and bodies fell. Among the heavy brush that covered the battlefield crouched a beauty of a woman, her long white hair a sharp contrast to her black attire. In her hands she held a deep blue crystal bow, a matching crystal arrow nocked and ready. The sounds of fighting grew closer, and she perked up, making sure to be ever aware of her surroundings.

"_70 yards and closing, Ashe," _ Spoke the telepathic voice of Gareth. He was currently paired with the woman, Ashe, in a League match on the battlegrounds known as Summoners Rift. The two had decided to pair up in advance, despite the fact they had never met. Reputation alone had brought them together.

"_Understood," _replied Ashe. She drew back her bow, two fingers keeping the bowstring fully drawn. She slowed her breathing, aiming into the darkness.

"_Fifteen degrees to the left," _instructed Gareth.

Obeying, Ashe made a slight adjustment in her aim. She felt a force stop her arm as she swung it to the left. It was Gareth, fine tuning her aim for her. For several seconds she held the position. She was a formidable archer, able to hit nearly anything that she fired an arrow at. But even she could not hit what she could not see. She continued to breathe calmly, even as the shouts and clangs grew closer. Suddenly, a hoarse yell erupted from the darkness, and then from Gareth came the order.

"_Fire."_

Without hesitation, Ashe released the bowstring, sending the arrow whistling into the darkness. A fraction of a second later, she heard a gurgle, followed by a heavy thud. Then from the darkness limped a massive man, tall and broad. He wore the heavy blue and gold armor of a Demacian soldier, and carried a very large sword. Despite the several apparent injuries he carried, he still looked very intimidating. He called out into the brush.

"Thank you Ashe, I was in dire need of assistance."

Before acknowledging the man's thanks, she consulted Gareth. "_All clear?"_

"_Yes ma'am, and by the way, good shot. Darius took it right in the throat," _replied Gareth.

Ashe let herself relax a little as she stood up, exposing herself to the wounded man. "You are welcome Garen. It takes a team to win a match. Now I suggest you return to base and heal up before we get jumped on by someone."

Garen nodded, walking into the brush and crouching down. He was then surrounded by a blue glow, with matching colored circles surrounding him on the ground. He nodded another thanks to Ashe, and then he was gone.

"_Ashe, you'd better move too. The commotion has undoubtedly attracted the attention of others as well. Make your way along the river to the bottom lane," _instructed Gareth.

Ashe nodded in agreement, knowing that Gareth would be able to see the visual acknowledgement. She turned back into the brush, pushing through the tall grass. On the other side of the brush was a small river surrounded on both sides by jungle. Ashe began to make her way along its banks, being sure to stick to the wall of trees on her right. She moved through the shadows, stopping every now and then to scan her surroundings. "_This match has been going on for quite a while. Can I get an update?"_ she asked.

"_We are 47 minutes into the match. We've managed to push them back to their base, and we've destroyed two of their inhibitors. The super minions should be coming by any second now- ah there they are." _As Gareth finished speaking, a line of animated dolls clad in blue walked by. They moved in a mindless manner, seemingly only focusing on moving forward. Some of them carried spiked wooden shields and hammers, while others carried small wands. More noticeable, however, were the super minions. They were much larger than their caster and melee counterparts, wielding large spiked balls on the ends of their arms.

Ashe finally made her way to the bottom lane, standing in the brush near the edge of the jungle.

"_What now?_" she asked calmly.

Gareth was silent, analyzing the battlefield through his summoner orb. After nearly 15 seconds, he finally responded. _"Go ahead and fall in line with those minions. From there we—"_

He was interrupted by a sharp crack that emanated from the jungle. Ashe immediately crouched lower in the brush, drawing and nocking another arrow in the blink of an eye. "_Any eyes on?" _she asked.

"_I've got nothing," _replied Gareth. "_None of the other summoners know what it is either."_

"_Alright then." _With this Ashe pulled back the arrow and fired into the darkness. Mid-flight, the arrow magically transformed into a small bird, screeching as it flew along. When it reached a spot 100 feet away, it exploded in a flash of light, illuminating an area 20 feet in every direction. The explosion left behind a shimmering downfall of illuminated particles, keeping the area—and the two figures who occupied it—bathed in light. Suddenly exposed, the two figures charged towards Ashe. One of them was a red-haired woman, sporting two pistols and a large black hat. Perhaps her most noticeable feature however, was her body—slim, athletic, and certainly well-endowed. Her name was Sarah Fortune, but around the League she was known as Miss Fortune the Bounty Hunter. Alongside her ran a human-ish giant. Although he was humanoid, his skin was purple, and his eyes showed no pupils or corneas. He was the Madman of Zaun, Dr. Mundo. Known for his sadistic ways and ability to throw cleavers with unbelievable force, he certainly was a powerful foe. What made him even more dangerous however was the fact that he could take massive amounts of damage, as well as heal exponentially faster than any normal human being. A true juggernaut, he would certainly cause trouble for the much more fragile Ashe.

"_Ashe, there's no way we can win this, you need to move now!" _called out Gareth. As Ashe got up from the bush and began to run back towards her base, Gareth turned his attention away from the battlefield and called out to his fellow summoners standing around him. "I need assistance down in bottom lane as soon as possible." He received a nod from the summoner standing directly across from him who was partnered up with Alistar the Minotaur.

"I'll be there soon. Meet me at the turret near the base's edge," instructed the other summoner. "We'll have an advantage there."

Nodding, Gareth turned back to his Summoner orb, closing his eyes and immersing himself back into the match on Summoner's Rift. "_Keep going all the way to the edge of the base," _he called to Ashe. _"Alistar will be there to assist you."_

Ashe nodded and continued to run. Though she was slower than her pursuers, she had a head start. She dodged bullets and cleavers, with Gareth acting as a kind of rear view mirror, warning her whenever there were incoming projectiles. Fifty yards ahead, she spotted her team's turret. The turret resembled a large stone beast-soldier, firing large pulses of energy from the blue crystal atop it's sword at the small, purple clad minions mindlessly hitting the tower's base. As she ran, Ashe fired a volley of arrows at the crowd of minions, clearing the rest of them from around the turret.

"_Where's Alistar?" _she growled at Gareth.

"_He's still a ways off,"_ came Gareth's voice, "_you'll have to hold off until then."_

"_Fine." _Ashe turned around and fired another volley of arrows, this time at her pursuers, who were standing just out of the turrets firing range.

"_Be careful. Mundo's built like a Zaunite tank right now, he might draw fire from the turret to give Miss Fortune an opening," _warned Gareth.

Ashe nodded, never taking her eyes off the two enemy champions. She continued to exchange fire with them, dodging and firing, constantly jockeying for position. As she came out of a roll to dodge a flurry of bullets fired by the bounty hunter, she felt a heavy impact to her right side, followed by a searing pain. Landing on her knees, she realized that Mundo had landed a cleaver on her. Had this not been a league match, the large cleaver would surely have taken her arm off, but luckily it only damaged her on a much less severe level. The wound still was significant though, and she knew she would need to retreat. It was then she realized that she couldn't move with her usual speed.

"_It's the cleaver Ashe, it was infected. Don't worry, the slowing effect will wear off," _said Gareth. It was then that he noticed Mundo moving in. "_Ashe heads up, they're diving in!"_

Still somewhat dazed, Ashe dove to the side as Mundo flung another cleaver at her, barely missing. Beside him, Miss Fortune began to unload in Ashe's general direction, blanketing the lane in a carpet of fire and lead. Ashe hit the deck as the bullets flew overhead, whizzing by with lethal force. Her turret began to fire, striking Dr. Mundo square in the chest. The shot seemed to go unnoticed by the madman as he continued to march forward. While Ashe and Gareth knew that eventually the turret would start firing strong enough shots to kill the doctor, they both knew that it would be much too late. Just as Gareth was about to order Ashe to abandon the turret and fall back, a bellow erupted from the jungle, turning heads. Alistar erupted from the jungle behind the enemy, a purple, snorting mass of minotaur. He charged head first into Miss Fortune, slamming her forwards toward Ashe. The massive minotaur then charged Dr. Mundo, tying up with the large man. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Gareth began giving instructions.

"_Ashe, focus on Miss Fortune_. _She's got the higher damage output right now."_

Ashe leapt into action, her arms a blur as she fired toward the still downed figure of Miss Fortune. The red-haired woman rolled to the side and quickly stood up, pistols blazing the whole way. Still, she was at a disadvantage, with Ashe having already landed quite a few hits. Figuring retreat was the best option, Miss Fortune ran.

Ashe fired at the fleeing woman, but her shots were suddenly blocked by the two massive combatants grappling in front of her. The two were locked in a battle of pure brawn, neither giving an inch.

"_Damn, she's getting away" _she told Gareth.

"_Don't worry, I'll take care of it." _he replied. He focused on the retreating Miss Fortune, chanting the words to a spell used by summoners during matches. As he finished the incantation, Miss Fortune suddenly burst into flames. She only resisted the fire for a moment before falling to the ground, dying in a flash of blue light.

"_Well done, summoner,"_ said Ashe.

"_No time for congratulations, Mundo's getting the upper hand," _responded Gareth.

The mad doctor was indeed besting the minotaur, striking Alistar several times with his cleaver. Ashe began to fire, and even with all the moving around, every arrow dug into Mundo's flesh. Bleeding from his wounds, the doctor decided to retreat, throwing Alistar back towards his turret and turning tail. Ashe gave chase but it soon became apparent that she was too slow.

"_Enchanted crystal arrow,"_ ordered Gareth, _"aim well."_

Still continuing to run, Ashe drew an arrow from her quiver, this one slightly larger than the others she carried. Whispering a small incantation, she nocked it, drew her bow, and fired all in one smooth motion. As soon as the arrow left her bow, it grew, becoming larger than Ashe herself. The huge arrow hit Mundo like a ton of bricks, knocking him flat on his face. Ashe closed the gap between the two and leapt on to Mundo's back. Still dazed, the mad doctor could do nothing but lay there as Ashe drew another arrow and fired it straight into the back of his head, ending his life in the familiar flash of light. Stepping off the gargantuan body, Ashe breathed a sigh of relief. On the summoners platform, Gareth mirrored her action, relaxing after the long fight.

"_Ashe, look toward the enemy base."_

She followed his instructions, gazing over the tops of the trees in the direction of the enemy's fountain. The sky lit up in a brilliant explosion of purple fire, marking the destruction of the enemy's nexus. The minion waves had proved to be too overwhelming, pushing through the last two turrets and slowly beating down the nexus. Ashe smiled, glad to have won such a hard fought match. _"Well that was fun, wasn't it?" _she asked.

"_Sure,_" replied Gareth absentmindedly.

Ashe couldn't help but sigh at his response. '_Lighten up a little.' _She thought to herself.

Several minutes later, Gareth walked into the post match meeting room. There, he shook the hands of the summoners he had faced along with the ones who had been his teammates. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned around and met with the Ashe's cool blue eyes.

"Well done summoner. It seems your reputation is well deserved," she said.

"Thank you Frost Archer. Your assistance played a large role in today's victory," he said. "I will keep you in mind when I am called up for another match." With this, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Ashe watched him go, before slowly shaking her head. _"He's just a little too serious,"_ she thought before turning back to congratulate her team.

Gareth walked through the Halls of the Institute, searching among the crowds of people. It had been only three months since that fateful autumn day when he gained his title of summoner, but in that short time he had proven himself to be quite proficient in the art. Ever since his very first match, he had seen nothing but progress. He had gained a reputation as a rising star, but many saw him as being a bit too professional. Most of the matches that were held were to decide the outcome of small conflicts. Most saw these matches as more for entertainment than as a political tool. Gareth, however, viewed all matches as serious business. Some said that this was the only thing keeping him from being an elite summoner. He himself believed that such claims were ridiculous. This attitude hadn't really won him any friends, but he wasn't here to make friends.

Gareth continued to walk, eventually making his way to the dining hall. The room was huge, large enough to easily seat hundreds of people. Voices and laughter filled the air as summoners and champions alike ate and conversed. The food was free, which made it a prime choice for those short on change. The only other option was to go to the nearby town of Roana, which most opted out of simply because of the time it took to get there. The walk down the Institute steps alone took nearly 10 minutes at a casual pace. The town was another 20 minutes away by foot. While Gareth did not fear physical exercise-he ran up and down the Institute Stairs every morning to keep in shape- he saw no reason to leave the building when offered free food and housing. He had gone to Roana a few times, but only to gain a familiarity with the area.

He gazed around, looking for Sona, who was his only real friend at the Institute. Not seeing her, he decided that the best thing to do was get some food. Even though the summoners themselves did not participate in battling, controlling the champions and using the summoners orb to keep tabs on the battlefield took a toll on the body. Usually a good meal and rest was enough to remedy this, but there had been known incidents of summoners passing out in the middle of a match. Luckily for Gareth, his good physical shape kept this from happening.

He walked through the food line at the end of the dining hall, picking out some rice, spiced meat, and some fruit juice. Taking his meal, he walked over to the dining tables, picking out a spot far away from anyone else. He sat down and began eating in silence, replaying the day's match over in his mind, looking for anything that needed improvement. He was halfway through his meal when he heard a familiar musical tone. He turned around to see Sona drifting towards him. She waved at him, and he acknowledged her with a smile. Floating around the table, she took a seat opposite him, her etwahl floating into the seat adjacent to her.

"Good afternoon Sona." He said, greeting her.

"_Good afternoon to you as well Gareth," _she said in her melodic mental voice. "_I watched your match earlier. You did exceptionally well. Both you and Ashe seemed well in sync."_

"I suppose so. We did have a few slip ups here and there."

"_Still," _said the maven_, "you did exceptionally well. Saving Garen the way you did? And that final double kill you two got at the end, those to me are both signs of a good team."_

Gareth sighed; he knew what was coming next.

"_So…" _continued Sona, "_Is she the right champion for you?"_

Swiftly, Gareth answered. "No. Her style was manageable, but not for me."

Sona frowned. There was one thing that Gareth lacked when compared to other Summoners of his level, and that was a preferred champion. As each summoner rose in rank, they gained influence amongst the league. With enough influence, a summoner could request to be partnered up with a certain champion whenever they wanted. For new summoners with little to no influence, ten champions were offered up as "free," meaning anyone could use them whenever they want even if they had no influence whatsoever. This rotation of "free" Champions changed every week, allowing summoners to try their hand at many different champions before deciding on a more permanent partnership. Gareth himself had racked up more than enough influence to request the use of a Champion whenever he liked, but he had yet to find one he believed was right for him. He had been using the free rotations ever since his first match. His predicament was the subject of much talk by summoners around the League. Many said that the only thing worse than his seriousness was his pickiness in champions. Again, this was something he dismissed as nonsense. However, it seemed to deeply concern him, as evidenced by his constant change of champions.

Sona peered across the table at him, wondering if he was alright. She knew that his inability to find a suitable champion was filling him with doubt. She worried that this doubt might one day cause him to leave, so she had been attempting to help him find the right champion. A few weeks ago, she thought he had been close when Gareth had paired up with Pantheon, the Artisan of War. The two had carried their team to victory nearly every match they had together. Other summoners had come to fear the duo, stating that surely Pantheon was the one. However, at the end of that week's free rotation, Gareth had stated that it still did not feel right. Pantheon himself had been somewhat disappointed about being turned down by a reasonably skilled summoner, but he had not been as disappointed as Sona. She had tried to convince Gareth to request the ability to use Pantheon anyway, but Gareth had stood firm by his decision.

She had been thinking about the problem as if it was her own. She would often spend hours on end thinking about the situation and what she could do to end it. She was beginning to think that perhaps it went beyond Gareth's nit-picking.

"_Gareth," _She said. He looked up at her, a grim look on his face.

"Yeah?"

"_I spoke with Ashe today after your match. She said as a summoner you were quite proficient."_

"Well that's good to hear." said Gareth.

"_That's not all though," _continued Sona. _"She said that as a person, you were somewhat….unapproachable, if you will. According to her, everything you said was related to the match."_

Gareth squinted his eyes at the woman. "What's the matter with that?" he asked.

"_Well," _she said, being sure to pick her words carefully, "_I believe that the trouble you're having with picking a champion is not only due to that champions own abilities. I believe that the lack of any personal connection may be playing a large role in it as well."_

This caught Gareth off guard. He pondered what she had told him for moment, then said, "Sona, this is the League, not some meet and greet."

"_That's where you're wrong. I have personal bonds with all of my summoners, at least on some level. Look around and tell me what you see."_

Gareth peered around, observing the groups of summoners and champions conversing. They all seemed to be on friendly terms, aside from most of the Noxians and Demacians, who avoided each other like the plague whenever possible. Fighting outside of League matches on the Institute grounds was illegal for both summoners and champions; putting a Noxian and a Demacian within swinging distance was generally a bad idea.

"So what you are saying is that I'm not friendly enough with my champions?" he asked.

"_That's exactly what I'm saying," _answered the maven flatly, "_You need to lighten up a bit out there. Don't treat us champions as tools of a profession." _As she said this, she was in a soft blue glow. Runic symbols began to swirl around her, passing through all physical objects. She was being summoned to the fight on the field Fields of Justice.

"_It seems that I'll have to cut short our get-together," _She said with a mental sigh._ "Gareth, please promise me you'll try to be a little more personable."_

Gareth exhaled deeply. "Sona, I don't kn-"

"_Please." _

Gareth looked across the table into Sona's eyes, remembering the day he had become a summoner. He remembered the words she had spoken to him.

'_Luck is something you don't need. You have a good heart, and that's all it takes.' _

Those words had not misled him, and he had to believe that the words she was saying to him now would be no different.

"Very well Sona, I'll give a go."

She smiled and nodded. "_Thank you, Gareth."_

And then she was gone.

Gareth continued to eat in silence, Sona's words still raging around in his head. Could it really be that he was not social enough? And even if that were the case, where would he start? He had to admit that he was not the best at approaching others, except in a professional manner. As he munched on some carrots, he heard footsteps approaching from his right. To his left, there was nothing but the corner of the room, so whoever it was either had the intention of sitting near him or speaking with him. To his surprise, that person did both. He heard the chair next to him shift as the person sat down.

"Hello there summoner," spoke a cheery voice. "All alone?"

"I am now," Gareth replied gruffly, looking over. The girl who had spoken to him wore a dark blue T-shirt with the Demacian crest and jeans, and appeared to be in her late teens. She was very small, standing only a few inches over five feet. Her light blonde hair seemed to shimmer despite the modest lighting in the dining hall, and she gazed at him through sparkling blue eyes. Everything about the girl seemed to glow. Even with the casual outfit she wore, Gareth recognized as Luxanna Crownguard, a Demacian champion of the League. She was a renowned light mage, supposedly being able to copy any spell after seeing it only once.

"What brings you here, Luxanna?" he asked, returning to his meal.

"Call me Lux," she replied. "I just came over to see why a Summoner was sitting all by himself. Don't you have someone to chat with?"

He sighed. It appeared that Sona was not the only one to notice his lack of companions.

"She had to go. She was summoned." He answered.

Lux gave him a quizzical stare. "Sona's your only champion?"

Gareth's eyes narrowed. She had been spying on them. No, spying was too strong of a word. He forced himself to relax. Lux had most likely just seen them together as she was walking by.

"No, she's more like a sister to me," he stated.

"Wait a moment, your name isn't Gareth is it?" asked Lux. "The serious one?"

Gareth felt his blood pressure shoot up a bit at this. He clenched his fork a little bit harder. The serious one? Was his attitude really the subject of talk by champions as well? He bit back a retort, instead answering in a monotone voice. "I suppose that would be me, yes"

Lux giggled, obviously amused by his response. "How could anyone be this serious?" she wondered.

"So is it true you only use free champions because you can't decide on finding a more permanent partner?" she asked

This question flustered Gareth even more than the last. "So this is what I'm known for around the Institute," he said mentally. "Fan-frickin-tastic." He downed the rest of his drink and pushed his chair back, preparing to leave.

"Hold on Gareth," said Lux , grabbing his arm. He was surprised at her strength as she gripped his arm tightly.

"What?" he asked curtly.

"There was another reason I came over. I was just joking, I knew who you were all along." She said.

"And?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her.

"Well its Monday, so tomorrow will be the end of the current free champion rotation." She stated. "I'm one of the champions included in the next rotation. It has been brought to my attention that you are going to be one of the summoners in a match on Thursday, so…."

Gareth understood now. "And you want me to select you?" he inquired.

"Exactly." She said with a smile. "So what do you say?"

Instead of answering her question, Gareth asked another. "Why me?"

"Pardon?" asked Lux, a confused look on her face.

"Why me?" repeated Gareth. "What possessed you to come and ask me to partner up with you?"

The Demacian girl shrugged. "They said you were good, and from what I've seen that's no lie. I got tired of constantly dying out there on the Fields. Not a pleasant feeling, ya know?"

Gareth wasn't satisfied with her answer, but he let it go. He considered her offer, recalling as much information as he could about the girl sitting before him. She was capable of long range magic attacks, which was something he liked. Early match, she could be very independent. She was also supposedly a brilliant tactician. He struggled to remember more, but that was all he could come up with. Still, he didn't see how any harm could come about from giving her a shot.

"Very well," he said, "Let's give it a try."

"Excellent! I'll see you Thursday then!" with this, she got up, turning to leave.

As Gareth watched her go, Sona's words rang in his head.

'_Gareth, please promise me you'll try to be a little more personable.' _

"Damn," he thought. "did I really promise to that? How am I going to be friendlier towards a champion? Hang out with them?" As he thought this, an idea popped up into his mind. He quickly walked after Lux, calling out as he went.

"Luxanna! Hold on!"

She turned on her heels and walked back to him. "I thought I told you not to call me that. It's just Lux." She said.

"Right, Lux. Anyway, how would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow? We can discuss tactics and I can learn more about-"

"Sorry," she said, cutting him short. "I have a policy against going out on dates with summoners."

Gareth felt himself turn red as his heart began to race. He hadn't intended for it to sound like he was asking her out. He had thought that it would be a good way for them to become familiar with each other's strengths and abilities. "No no no, I didn't mean on a date, I just meant—" he stopped as she began laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.

She laughed for a few more seconds before responding. "I know what you meant, I was just messing with your head. They weren't kidding, you really are a serious minded one."

Gareth sighed, feeling his heartbeat slow down. "So is that a yes?"

"Yeah" she replied' "It's a date"

"But you said—" again he was cut off by Lux's cheery laughter. He stopped, realizing he had been caught in her trap again. He groaned, covering his face with a hand. She certainly was a crafty one.

"I'm currently staying in room number 17 in the Demacian wing. Come by whenever," she said, trying to keep herself from laughing more at the summoner standing in front of her.

"Okay," sighed Gareth, still keeping his eyes covered. "I'll be by around 6 pm."

"Excellent. I know of this great place in Roana. We should try there" replied Lux. "See you around summoner." She said with a wave. Then she turned and walked away.

Gareth finally uncovered is eyes, exhaling loudly. What had he just agreed to? A night in Roana? He had just planned to meet back in the dining hall. Looking up at the ceiling, he spoke in a soft voice.

"You better be right about this Sona."

**Author's note**

Well it's official: I'm obsessed with writing. surprising how quickly that happened, along with my habit of listening to dubstep while i do it. like wtf, i've never listened to dubstep in my life. Anyways, here we catch up with Gareth a few months later, doing what summoners do and what not. Also, some more characters are introduced, and the story gets rolling. Hope you enjoyed this one, I know I enjoyed writing it.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sitting on his bed in the bedroom of his Institute-provided living quarters, Gareth's mind was racing. The day's earlier events were still just sinking in. He couldn't believe he had agreed to the proposition Lux had offered. Usually, it was he who asked a champion for assistance. Even more unbelievable was his request to have dinner with her. He couldn't see himself as being social enough for this to work. Perhaps he had made a mistake. He considered contacting Lux and calling it off. There were nine other champions he could pick from, and with them he could just go through his regular routine: contact the champion and ask if they would agree to a partnership for his upcoming match. After that, he would study up on their skills and abilities, forming a strategy as he went. He could usually do all of this in just a few hours, so what was the point in spending several more in Roana with Lux?

"This isn't going to work," he thought to himself. "I know I promised Sona, but I can't do this. I need to go tell Lux I'm gonna have to cancel."

He got up, walking out of the bedroom and into the living room area. While summoners were allowed to decorate their rooms however they pleased, Gareth had left his mostly untouched. He had not brought anything with him when he had first arrived other than some spare clothes and some essentials. All he had really done was rearrange the furniture that the League had provided him with. Lit by a single simplistic light fixture hanging from the ceiling, the room was small, only a few hundred square feet. A couch was pushed against the far wall, with two chairs flanking it on either side and a coffee table a few feet in front of it. In front of them against the opposite wall was a magical projection screen similar to the ones in the Institutes entry hallway, although this one was much smaller. On it, one could watch live battles being fought on the Fields of Justice, as well as a News program broadcast by the League itself. Gareth generally only watched the League matches on it, although occasionally he would flip over to the news to keep in touch with the outside world. He crossed the room to the exit, stopping to turn off the lights. He then opened the door, and was surprised to find Sona, poised to knock on the door that had just moments before been in front of her. Gareth quickly erased the surprised look from his face.

"Hello there Sona."

"_Hello Gareth. Were you going somewhere?" _Questioned her telepathic voice.

"I was, but it can wait." he responded. He backed out of the doorway to let her in, flicking the lights back on as he did so. He closed the door, then turned to face her.

"I saw your match earlier." he said, gesturing at the magical projector. "You did very well."

It was true. Sona had certainly saved many lives during the match, disrupting the enemy several times with the magical chords strummed from her Etwahl. She had even secured a few kills when the short ranged melee attacks of her teammates could not reach the fleeing enemy. Everyone on her team had commented on her great team work and even those on the opposing team had commended her and her summoner as an honorable opponent..

"_Thank you Gareth, I'm glad you watched." _She said with a smile. She took a seat on the couch, allowing her Etwahl to come to a rest on the coffee table.

He returned the smile, when suddenly a thought entered his mind

"Sona," he said. "You know Lux Crownguard right?"

Sona nodded. "_Of course I know Luxanna, she's a fellow champion. Why do you ask?"_

Gareth told Sona about what had happened after she had been summoned, leaving out the part where he asked Lux to accompany him to dinner.

"_So she asked you if you would summon her in you next match. How interesting. What was your answer?" _asked the Maven.

"I told her we could give it a try. But it all seemed so sudden. I mean, she just walked over and asked me. Sona, you didn't put her up to this, did you?"

Sona quickly shook her head. "_I had nothing to do with this. I'm as surprised as you are." _She said.

Gareth believed her, knowing that the one person he could always trust was Sona. Ever since they had been children they had always truthfully answered each other's questions.

"_I would think that you would be glad that a champion asked you to be there summoner. It saves you the time of having to track them down. Why does this seem to be bothering you?" _

"Well…I took your advice." Responded Gareth, finally taking a seat in a chair.

"_About being more personable?"_

"Yeah, that advice."

"_And how did that work out for you?" _inquired the maven.

Taking a deep breath, Gareth told Sona about the invitation he had extended to Lux. It sounded strange hearing himself retell the somewhat unbelievable story, he noticed.

Sona's look turned to one of surprise as soon as Gareth finished speaking._ "You asked her out?"_

For the second time in the last twenty-four hours, Gareth felt himself turning red. "Wha- No, I just asked her to go with me so we could get to know each other's abilities and styles to give us an advantage in the upcoming match."

Sona sent a mental giggle his way, making the motion physically as well. "_Of course, I know what you meant, but you should have seen the look on your face."_

Caught in the same trap yet again, Gareth stared at her. Seconds later, he dropped his face into his open palm, arms propped up on his knees. Even though his hands muffled his words, Sona could still understand him.

"You know, for such a well-liked champion, you sure can be evil when you want to." The sounds of melodic mental laughter filled his head.

"Anyway Sona, the problem is, I don't know if I can follow through with it. It's all unfamiliar to me. I'm considering calling it off."

"_Calling it off? Is that where you were going?" _She asked.

With his face still covered, Gareth uttered a barely audible "Uh huh"

"_Gareth, you can't do that. You promised me that you would try to be more social. You can't keep to yourself all the time."_

Gareth finally looked up at her. "Do you honestly believe that the only thing preventing me from picking a champion to request is my lack of a personal bond?

Sona looked him straight in the eye with the most serious look he had ever seen her wear.

"_Yes Gareth, I absolutely believe that that is what the problem is." _She said firmly. _"You need to learn to enjoy other people's company more. That's what's keeping you from making a choice." _

Gareth sighed, remaining silent for several seconds.

Sona looked at him, wondering if she had angered him. The situation truly did seem to be frustrating him to no end. She was worried that it might be too much for him. She really believed that Gareth's problem was his lack of friendliness towards the champions he partnered with, but if it was really stressing the man out this much, she may have to give in and let him return to his old ways.

Gareth was thinking the exact same thing. He wondered if this really was too much for him. But he also knew that there was a good chance that Sona could be right. He would have to at least try, he couldn't just brush off her idea so easily. Exhaling deeply, he stood up and walked over to the couch, taking a seat next to the blue haired woman. He leaned over hugged her.

"Thanks Sona. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give it a try would it?"

"_Exactly." _She replied happily._ "What have you got to lose?"_

"Well that depends on how much of a fool I manage to make myself look like." He said with a grin. "There's my pride, my reputation, my amount of influence…"

Sona couldn't help but laugh at this_. "You two are just going to discuss strategies and stuff, right? You'll be fine. But Gareth?"_

"Yeah?" He asked.

"_Try to remember that having a little fun never hurts."_

She then stood up, drifting to the center of the room.

"_Now come here, I ought to teach you how to dance. It might come in handy on your little date" _she said teasingly. Had she not been a champion of a league, her reflexes might not have been quick enough to dodge the pillow that was thrown at her head.

The following day rolled by rather smoothly. Not having any matches to attend, Gareth spent his day relaxing. He sat on the couch, watching League matches on his projection screen, analyzing and recording anything and everything that he could use in the future on paper. While mst may not have seen this as a sort of pastime, it was all Gareth really could see himself doing in his free time. It often helped him take his mind off things, and today, he needed it. He furiously wrote down notes, and soon a stack of papers grew on the coffee table. He had just started watching a fifth match when a knock at the door grabbed his attention.

"Must be either Sona or a messenger." He thought. He quickly glanced at the clock on the wall as he stood up. It was five o' clock. Only 50 minutes left until he had to leave if he wanted to make it to Lux's room on time. The Demacian wing was all the way on the other side of the building. While he was somewhat reluctant to go, he didn't want to be late. The quicker he could get it over with, the better. Walking over to the door, he undid the lock and opened it. To his surprise, neither Sona nor a messenger stood before him. It was Lux. She was dressed in a deep purple traveling cloak, her bright blonde hair a stark contrast to the dark fabric.

"Lux, what are you doing here?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Good evening to you too, Gareth. Do you mind if I come in?"

Still a little confused, Gareth stood aside and motioned for her to come inside, closing the door behind her.

"I thought I told you that I would come by at 6." He said still, standing by the door.

She ignored him for a second, looking around at the bland room before addressing him. "Where's the harm in getting an early start?" she asked. "Besides, that will give us some extra time to have some fun later tonight in town. I've heard the night life there is brilliant."

If Gareth had been slightly confused earlier, he was completely clueless now. What was this girl getting at?

"Lux, I thought we were just going to talk about ourselves and discuss strategy over dinner." He said.

"We are," she replied, turning to face him. "But would it hurt to have a little fun while we're there?" She asked, flashing him a smile.

All Gareth could manage was a dumbfounded "What?"

She couldn't be serious. "What about the plan we made?" he asked.

She continued smiling at him, amused by the somewhat frustrated look on his face. Was this summoner really that opposed to a night on the town?

"As a skilled summoner, you ought to know to know better than most that plans change." She said matter-of-factly.

Gareth bit back his protest, remembering what Sona had told him._ 'Try to remember that having a little fun never hurts.' _Mentally, he sighed. He really needed to stop taking her advice.

Reaching over to the rack next to the wall, he grabbed his thick brown travelling cloak and wrapped himself up in it. Motioning toward the door, he said to Lux, "Shall we be off then?"

She nodded, allowing him to hold the door for her as she exited the room. Turning down the hallway, the two walked towards the main entrance hall. From there they made their way through the crowds of people and reached the exit.

As the two stepped out of the Institute entrance hall, they were greeted by the chill of the night air. The sun had just set and the Institute grounds were lit up by the large crystals scattered about, bathing it in a soft blue glow. Snow had begun to fall, with a thin layer already accumulating on the ground. Lux gave a slight shiver as the cold air reached her, pulling her hood up around her head to ward off the chill. Gareth opted to leave his down, allowing a light dusting of snow to collect in his hair. They walked in silence down the huge stairway, both being careful not to slip in the snow. As they finally reached the bottom several minutes later, Lux broke the silence.

"Tell me Gareth, what was your life like before the League?" she asked.

Gareth was somewhat surprised to hear her ask, but saw no reason not to tell her of his past life. Part of it, that is. He spoke of his life at the orphanage with Sona, and how after he had left he went to find his parents. Upon hearing about his parent's fate, Lux uttered a small "Ah."

Turning her head, she spoke to him. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

Gareth shook his head as he walked. "There's no need to be. It couldn't be helped. I just wish I could have known more about them. Come to think of it, if they had still been alive, I probably wouldn't be in the League today."

"Oh?" asked Lux. "Why is that?"

Recalling that day in the High Council room, he spoke to her. "I joined the League because I wanted to prevent any more conflicts like the one that took my parents' lives. I suppose in a way, you could say I aimed to rid the world of all malevolence. I didn't want anyone to have to tell the same story that I just did."

Lux giggled. "Rid the world of malevolence," she echoed. "How very…Demacian of you."

Gareth chuckled at this. "I suppose it is, isn't it?"

Lux looked at him with a surprised look on her face. "You laughed." She said.

Gareth was a bit taken aback by this comment. "I laugh all the time." He said

Lux looked at him, a dubious look replacing the surprised one. "Is that so?"

Gareth thought for a moment. "Well….No. I suppose only with Sona, but then again she's really the only person I talk to on a regular basis."

"Well have you made any attempts to make some friends?" she asked.

He shook his head in response. "I haven't seen any reason to do so." To his surprise, she rounded on him, fire in her eyes.

"Gareth, don't do this to yourself," she said firmly. He gave her a confused stare, prompting her to continue. "Don't try to live your life solo. Nothing good can come out of it."

"Lux, why are you telling me this?" he asked.

Instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own. "Gareth, what do you know about my past?"

"Honestly, not much" he answered, puzzled at the turn the conversation was taking.

She turned and started to slowly walk. Unsure of what to do, Gareth walked after her.

For a several minutes they walked in silence. Gareth began to worry that he had somehow made her angry.

"Lux, look, I'm sorry if-" he began, but she cut him off.

"When I was young, the people of Demacia saw me as prodigy when it came to magic. In fact, I was one of the youngest people to ever go throught the College of Magic." She said. Unsure of how to respond, Gareth remained silent, walking alongside her as she continued.

"My abilities to control light drew attention from everyone, including the military. I myself saw it as a gift, something I could use to rid the world of evil. It made me so happy to think that I could contribute to the forces of justice."

She paused, drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "However, one day I came home to find my parents speaking with some military officials. My parents just handed me over to the military; I had no say in it. They dragged me out of my own house. My own parents just stood there with straight faces while I was taken, kicking and screaming. I went from being a sheltered trophy child to a soldier. In the military, I was trained in covert operations. Pretty soon, I was going alone deep into enemy territory, constantly in danger. I did it all for my country, all for the sake of ridding Valoran of evil."

She then rounded on Gareth again, forcing him to stop walking for the second time. "The whole time, I was on my own. I never had anyone to turn to, anyone to open up to. I was surrounded by my fellow comrades, but I believed that in order to achieve my goals, I would have to tough it all out on my own." She lowered her head, the shadow of her hood making it impossible to see her face. Her shoulders began to shake, and her breaths became uneven.

In a shaky voice, she asked,"Do you know why I joined the League, Gareth?"

"No," he answered softly.

"I joined….because after all of that time alone, all of that time fending for myself…I had nothing left." As she said this, a single tear fell from the shadow of her hood, landing in the snow at her feet.

"I don't want you to make the same mistake I did, Gareth. I know you have Sona, but she won't always be around," she said, her voice choking up. "Don't try to go through life all on your own. Live your life…" She continued to tremble as she trailed off.

Gareth couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had known this girl for less than two days, and already she was opening up to him like no one else had before, and all for his sake. How could she care so much about what might happen to him? It was hard for him to comprehend such logic, and yet he had heard it all with his own ears.

"Lux, I-" he started, but again she cut him off.

"I knew who you were months before we met. I had heard of how secluded you were and had to see for myself. When I saw you sitting all on your own at the dining table, I saw myself sitting there. And I just couldn't let that happen to anyone…"

And with that, she began to cry.

Her tears stained the snow, melting through the thin layer of ice crystals to the ground below. Her breaths came in uneven gasps, visible as puffs of fog in the cold night air.

Gareth looked on, realization dawning on him. She hadn't wanted him to be her summoner because she was tired of lackluster performances that other summoners had provided. She just wanted to help him. Sona had been right; he did have a problem connecting with champions. But he now realized that all along, his problem had been his lack of connecting with _anyone_. And it had taken this young Demacian girl who now stood in front of him crying, for him to realize it. He felt like a fool. He wanted to tell her that he knew what she meant, that he too had lead a lonely life long before the League, but there were some things that he felt did not need to be revealed to anyone. Not yet.

Looking at Lux, he did the only thing he could think of: closing the distance between them, he took her into his arms, pulling her small frame close.

"Lux," he said softly, "I made a promise to Sona that I would try to be a more social person, and I am now extending that promise to you. I promise that I will start living my life out away from the shadows. I see now that the way I was going about life was wrong. I should have asked for help long ago, but I never saw the need. But now you're here. You're the help I need. So please, don't cry."

He continued to hold her tightly as her tears soaked into the cloth of his cloak. For several seconds they stood there in the falling snow, the only sound being Lux's shuddering breaths. Finally, she looked up at him, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't worry about it." He said with a smile. Looking up ahead, he could see a glow in the night sky. "Looks like we're close to Roana," he said. "Shall we continue on, Lady Lux?"

She smiled weakly at him. "Oh please, none of that," she said, the strength returning to her voice. "Just Lux, remember?"

Gareth released her from his embrace. "Whatever you say, Lux." He said mockingly. "Oh, and remember the plan?"

Lux nodded. "The one about talking strategy and stuff?"

"Yeah, that one. Forget about it. Let's go enjoy ourselves."

She smiled at him, and together they turned and walked over the last hill toward the lights and laughter of Roana.

**Author's note **

And behold, our stone-hearted summoner has the ability to feel empathy and compassion! It's not quite love, but for our man Gareth it sure is a huge step. Again, Gareth's past life is brought up. gotta wonder what he's hiding... Oh and by the way, if your wondering why I picked Lux, she was my first champ I played (and one of my mains now.) Not because of the ENORMOUS amounts of other Lux fan fics out there, although I must admit some of them are truly Outrageous... Now, a lot of what I've already written was imagined up on a six hour drive from Kentucky to Illinois during spring break, and also on the return trip. Unfortunately, this chapter marks the end of all of the stuff I came up with on that drive. Does that mean I'm giving up? No! It just means that updating will be slowing down as the creative energy is turned into productive energy for my College classes. Also, to the few people who have given me reviews, thank you very much. It really is encouraging to read any kind of feedback, because at least I know I'm getting some traffic.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_A Big thanks goes out to Selamanra for being the beta reader for this one!_

* * *

The town of Roana was a bustling hub of fun and festivity. A relatively young town, it had been formed shortly after the last Rune War, raised by those trying to start life anew. When the League of Legends was established, Roana expanded to accommodate those who traveled to come see the Institute of War in person. Eventually the town became somewhat of an attraction, drawing in not only tourists, but also intrepid businessmen and women looking to make a profit off of the high traffic flow. To many, it was just as captivating as the League itself.

Lux and Gareth walked along the cobbled streets, looking around with wide eyes. While both of them had been there before, neither had taken the opportunity to visit the town after the sun had set. Under the dark night sky, Roana really came alive.

Performers everywhere were putting on acts ranging from acrobatics to plays performed on makeshift stages. Stalls lined the streets, selling every kind of merchandise imaginable. Lights of all sizes and colors were strung up along roof tops, across streets, over doors, and even wrapped around clotheslines. While the town already attracted thousands of people from across the continent, it was even livelier during this time of the year as the townspeople and entrepreneurs geared up for the annual celebration of the Time of Snowdown. A holiday celebrated all over the continent of Valoran, the Time of Snowdown commemorated the passing of another year.

Gareth stopped at a stall selling small trinkets and charms, browsing the wares the vendor had to offer. Standing next to him, Lux seemed barely able to contain her excitement.

"Oh I absolutely love the Time of Snowdown!" She exclaimed. "In Demacia, we hold enormous ceremonies during which we celebrate the lives of the heroes who fell in the name of Demacia that year. It was always so grand." She paused, looking over at Gareth. Had he ever celebrated the Time of Snowdown? It couldn't hurt to ask. She opened her mouth to pose the question, but he cut her short with a smile.

"I know what you're about to ask," he said, "and contrary to popular belief, I did have fun every once and a while." He was glad to see that she had recovered from her episode outside of the town.

"So you have celebrated Snowdown then?" she asked.

He nodded. "The adoption house in Ionia where I lived celebrated it every year. It was a time of enlightenment, gift-giving, and forgiveness."

"Oh? And what about after you left the adoption house?"

Gareth shook his head. "I haven't celebrated Snowdown in six years, Lux. After I left the adoption house, I was all on my own. I never really saw a point in celebrating Snowdown all by myself."

Slowly lowering her gaze, all Lux could manage was a small "Oh." She wasn't surprised by what she had heard, but it still saddened her to hear that Gareth had missed out on such a festive occasion so many years in a row. She had celebrated the Time of Snowdown every year of her life, even during her time in the Demacian Army. In fact, the holiday celebrations marked some of the few times she had truly been happy while serving. She often wondered if she would have made it through military life without the reprieve that the Time of Snowdown offered. Slowly, she felt the memories from her past start to seep into her mind, both the good and the bad. Her heart began to race as a mixture of emotions began to well up inside of her.

Gareth looked at her with worry. While many people saw Gareth as being a little on the emotionless side, reading the emotions of others was something that came naturally to him. He could sense that his story had struck a chord deep within Lux. The girl had already broken down right in front of him once; he didn't want to give her any reason to do so again.

"However, I have heard that the League holds quite the Snowdown celebration." He said, trying to take Lux's mind off of whatever it was that was unsettling her.. To his relief, she looked up at him, the sparkle quickly returning to her eyes.

"That's correct! At the Institute, a month long celebration is held, full of competitions and entertainment. Matches are held on the Fields of Justice purely for celebratory reasons. They even hand out prizes to outstanding summoners and champions. However, not everything is the same each year. The High Council tends to throw in some surprise events every now and then to keep things exciting."

While it seemed like she could go on for hours, she was interrupted by a loud rumble that resonated from the pit of her stomach. Her face turned bright red as her hand moved to rest on her stomach.

"Um, Lux, are you hungry?" Asked Gareth, an eyebrow raised.

She responded by suddenly taking interest in the ground at her feet, lowering her gaze to avoid Gareth's. "Well… I ate breakfast when I woke up this morning, but I was summoned three times today, so I never really got the chance to eat anything else…" She spoke quietly, her voice barely audible over the noisy crowds of people moving about.

Gareth looked her, slightly amused by her embarrassment. At least this time, he wasn't the one blushing.

"Well what about that restaurant you mentioned yesterday? We could go there. To be honest, I could use a good meal as well." He replied.

She looked up at him. "That's a brilliant idea! I promise you'll enjoy it, they have the best food for miles!" She then grabbed his hand and began to tow him along, weaving in and out of the crowds that populated Roana's streets.

The speed at which Lux's attitude could change amazed Gareth. He found himself wondering how he managed to tolerate her. He guessed that it had something to do with her emotional outpouring he had witnessed earlier. He remained mostly silent as Lux chattered on about her Snowdown experiences, throwing in comments whenever he felt the need. As they walked down streets and cut through alleyways, Gareth felt himself begin to grow more comfortable. It was a strange feeling, but he knew it was a sign of progress. He wasn't going along with this because Sona wanted him to anymore. He was doing this because he wanted to.

They walked for nearly an hour, stopping several times in front of stalls whenever something caught their eye. Finally the pair stopped in front of a large building, with a sign hung over the doorway that read "The Demacian Standard." The building itself was made from pure white stone, with high, arched windows and a pair of large double doors. Compared to the neighboring buildings, it was a shining example of sophistication and grandeur, typical of Demacian architecture.

As he pushed through the double doors, Gareth senses were assailed by a multitude of stimuli. Multiple scents entered his nostrils, while the sounds of soft music drifted through the air. Everywhere he looked, he saw opulence. Blue and gold banners embroidered with the Demacian crest lined the walls. Tables and booths were scattered about the polished marble floor, with well-dressed waiters wheeling around food carts topped with dishes of all kinds. Surrounded by such upscale ambience, Gareth suddenly felt underdressed. There was also another problem nagging at him.

"Lux," he spoke up, "I don't think I'll be able to afford anything here."

She turned to him. "Don't worry about it!" she said with a reassuring tone. "Just stick with me."

As she said this, a host walked up to the pair. When he looked at Lux, his face lit up, and he broke into a wide grin. "Luxanna, so good to see you back here again!" he spoke above the atmosphere of the restaurant

She smiled back at the man and greeted him. "Hello, Dominick! It's always a pleasure to be back."

The host then glanced at Gareth. "I see you've brought someone along with you," he said dismissively. Gareth noted the man's tone, but let it roll off of him.

Lux hooked her arm around Gareth's, a move that took him by surprise. "He's a friend of mine. I thought I'd show him some of the fine examples of Demacian meals you serve here."

_Friend_. The title felt unfamiliar to Gareth, but it felt nice to be addressed as such. Lux continued to cling to his arm as the two followed the host to a table set for two.

"Please have a seat, and one of our waiters will be here momentarily to serve you," said the host. He then turned and addressed Lux. "As always, Lady Luxanna, your meals will be of no charge to you. This of course also applies to your guest tonight." Turning on his heels, he left quickly to seat another group waiting by the door.

Being polite, Gareth pulled out a chair for Lux to sit in. Despite his lack of social experience, he still knew how to properly conduct himself.

"Glad to see I won't be paying for this." He quipped, taking a seat opposite from Lux.

She smiled at him. "Sometimes it pays to be a Crownguard." She paused, peering around the restaurant. "I absolutely love it here, it reminds me so much of Demacia. I get to go back there every now and then, but most of the time I'm busy attending to my duties at the League."

"Do you at least go back during the Time of Snowdown to celebrate?" asked Gareth.

Lux shook her head. "I've never really forgiven my parents for what they did to me. The Lightshield Royal family is usually in the midst of everything, and of course my family is always by their side. If I were to go back during the Snowdown celebrations, there's no doubt that at some point I would see them."

Gareth frowned at this. He had never known his family, but he knew that it must be hard to have such rocky relations with the members of one's own house. He began to wonder just how emotionally scarred Lux really was. He found that his thoughts kept wandering back to her break down outside of town, but he pushed the memory out of his head. For now, the matter was unimportant. Deep in thought, he was brought back to reality by the sound of Lux's voice.

"Um, Gareth? I know you said to forget about your plan and all, but perhaps we should talk a little about ourselves to help formulate a strategy for tomorrow's match. It would be nice to have a tactical advantage over the enemy, would it not?"

Gareth nodded slowly. '_She's changing the subject,_' he noted. That was fine by him; it was probably for the best anyway.

The two were interrupted briefly as a waiter came by to take their orders. Unsure of what to get, Gareth simply let Lux order for him. She ended up ordering a sample platter for the two of them, unable to decide on what to get.

After the waiter left, Gareth spoke up. "Well then, shall I start us off?"

"Go ahead." She replied.

"Okay." Said Gareth, leaning back in his chair. Unsure of what to say first, he decided to start from the beginning.

"I became a summoner about three months ago, so do realize that I'm not the most experienced summoner the League has to offer. Still, I would like to say that I have won my fair share of matches." He went on for several minutes, outlining his play style and listing off what he considered to be his greatest strengths and weaknesses. Lux listened intently, never taking her eyes off of him as he spoke. Gareth could almost envision the gears in her mind turning as she absorbed all of the information he was giving her. He had no doubt that the stories he had heard about the girl's brilliance were all true.

When their waiter finally arrived and dropped off their meals, Gareth decided that he had shared enough information about himself.

"I think that's enough about me," he said. "What can you tell me about yourself, Lux?"

"I'm so glad you asked," she responded, pretending to be flattered. Gareth found himself chuckling at this, a response that came a little unexpectedly. Something about this girl sitting across from him seemed to bring out a different side of him, he noticed. He let the thought fade away as Lux continued to speak.

"As I told you earlier, I possess the rather unique ability to manipulate light through magic." she paused to demonstrate, conjuring up a small orb of light in the palm of her hand. Willing it out of her hand, she made the ball float over to Gareth's side of the table like a wisp on the wind. Without even moving, Lux made the little orb dart all around, orbiting Gareth's head at such high speed that it resembled a halo. It abruptly stopped a foot from his face, and then flew directly at him, vanishing upon contact with his forehead. Gareth flinched; it was odd having an object fly at you without making some sort of impact.

Lux giggled at his reaction, reaching her hand up to cover her mouth.

"That was just a basic display," she began to explain, "when I was little, I would play little tricks like that on everyone. As I grew older though, I began to master more powerful spells, which was what eventually attracted the military. I could even bend light around myself, effectively turning invisible. When I was forced into the military, I developed my gift for use both as an offensive weapon and a defensive measure." She continued on much in the same fashion that Gareth had, telling him of anything she thought could be of use. The two then began to share stories of some of their more memorable matches that had occurred on the Fields of Justice, with one eating while the other spoke. While most of Gareth's recollections were about come-from-behind wins and landslide victories, Lux's tended to be more on the humorous side. She regaled him with stories of her running circles around the enemy nexus in order to buy her team enough time to rejoin the fight, and times when she had been chasing someone only to lose them by tripping over an out-of-place minion. Seeing the contrast in their stories, Lux threw out a question.

"Gareth, when was the last time you had fun during a match?"

The question came as a bit of a surprise to the summoner, but by now he was starting to grow accustomed to them. Still, he struggled to find an answer.

Gareth furrowed his brow. "Well….um….hmmm. I can't really recall a match where I had fun."

Expecting to receive a sharp remark from Lux, Gareth was caught off guard when she flashed a smile at him.

"Well there's always a first time for everything." she said. "Perhaps tomorrow's match will be the one."

"Let's hope it is," he replied, answering her smile with one of his own. He truly meant what he said. He didn't want his first match with Lux to be one of all business. After all that the girl had said and done, the least he could do to return the favor was enjoy himself.

The two finished their meals as a clock on the wall chimed to indicate that it was 11 pm. The crowd of people who had been there when they arrived had dwindled down to only a few small groups, sitting and laughing the night away.

Though he wasn't tired, Gareth still wanted to get back to the Institute and go to sleep at a reasonable time. Being tired during a match increased the strain on one's body enormously, something he had learned the hard way months before.

"It's getting late," he stated. "We should probably start making our way back to the Institute."

Lux nodded in agreement, standing up and pushing in her chair. Thanking Dominick for his service, the two walked out of the restaurant's double doors and out into the winter night. The snow had begun to fall more heavily, covering Roana's streets in a cold, wet blanket of white. This time, both Gareth and Lux pulled up their hoods to repel the large snowflakes that were falling. Just like in the restaurant, the crowds on the streets had thinned out. Gareth led the way with Lux silently falling in behind him. As they made their way towards the towns exit, Lux remained quiet. This puzzled Gareth, who had expected her to be just as talkative as she had been on the way in. Looking over at her, he saw that she appeared to be deep in thought. He didn't know what it was she could be thinking about, but he saw no need to ask. Instead, he simply let her think as they walked together in silence. As they passed through the town gates and made their way onto the path leading back to the Institute, Gareth found himself beginning to drift off in thought as well. He recounted the day's events, with all of its twists and turns. It had certainly been an unusual day. He couldn't recall a time when he had relaxed and opened up quite as much as today. Looking at Lux, he couldn't help but think that the girl had changed him for the better. The fact that she had done it in such a short time was what surprised him the most.

The silence between the two was finally ended by the soft voice of Lux.

"Gareth?"

"What is it Lux?" he asked, glad that she had finally spoken.

"Why did you just accept me the way you did?" She asked softly. "Most people would have thought that I was crazy, that there was something wrong with me. I've never just broken down like that in front of someone and when I did, I expected you to just go off and leave me there crying. At a point when we were still practically strangers, you didn't push me away. Why did you do it Gareth?"

The question startled Gareth. So that's what she had been thinking about. She was just as surprised by the way the night had gone as he was. He pondered the question in silence, the only sound being the crunch of the snow as they walked. Why had he stayed with her? The answer came to him from a memory, one that he had locked away in the confines of his mind. He had hoped it wouldn't rear its ugly head, but it still haunted him from time to time. He shuddered and pushed away the memory, but the answer he had uncovered remained.

"Someone once told me that there are two things that make us human. The first thing is the ability to recognize others as human. The second… the second is the ability to empathize with others." He said, pausing to take a deep breath before continuing.

"For the longest time, I think I was missing—no, _repressing_ that second element. Something about you though…..something about seeing you crying like that brought it back. I know it may sound strange, but that's really the best way I can describe it."

He stopped walking, prompting her to do the same. She looked at him, while he continued to look off into the distance.

"There's a lot that I still haven't told you about myself, Lux, and truthfully I probably never will. But please, know this," he said, finally turning to face her. "Over the course of my entire lifetime, no one has ever helped me in the way you are now. Never before has someone just put themselves out there like that for me. Not even Sona. But to see someone who I had barely known for a day do what you did all for my sake…it's amazing." Falling silent, he stood there wondering if his answer had been enough.

For what seemed like an eternity, Lux simply stood there, her gaze meeting his. He nearly jumped when he felt something softly brush his hand. Looking down, he saw that Lux had reached out, her delicate fingers lightly gripping his. Strangely, he found that he didn't mind her touch, although it did feel a bit alien to him. He looked back up to see Lux wearing a small smile.

"Thank you Gareth." she said. She drew her hand back to her side. "You know, for someone as who was as stone-faced as Galio, you sure are understanding." she teased.

Gareth laughed. "Come on now, I wasn't that bad was I? Now let's get going, I'd rather not start tomorrows match on only a few hours of sleep."

"That sounds like a smart idea," she said, nodding her agreement. Together they turned—and then froze as the shadowy figures of two men stepped onto the path. Even in the darkness, Gareth could make out the unmistakable silhouettes of short swords in their hands. Next to him, he could sense Lux tense up; she must have noticed the blades as well.

He couldn't be sure what the men wanted, but only one thought was present in his mind: This could only mean trouble.

* * *

**Authors Note: Alright, it's up! Chapter 3 sure took its time. But hey, college duty calls. Also, I may be getting a job soon, so updating may be even _slower,_ but who knows. Most of this is written in the time I spend lying awake at 4 AM in the morning as sleep evades me, so it's not like I would have to work then anyway. So hope you enjoyed this. If you did (or didn't) drop off a review before you go. Feedback of any kind is appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as nobody on the path made a move. The two armed men simply stood there as still as statues. Seventy feet away, Lux and Gareth had both taken a step back, their senses on high alert.

"Lux," whispered Gareth, "what is this?"

The young light mage shook her head. "I don't know. They are probably just highway men. Just let me do the talking." She then lowered her hood and projected her voice towards the two shadowy figures. "My name is Luxanna Crownguard, champion of the League of Legends, and noblewoman of Demacia. Please state your intentions!"

At first, neither man responded. Then, they began to slowly walk forward, the sound of crunching snow audible in the still night air.

Gareth was surprised by this. Usually, stating that one was a champion of the League was enough to dissuade any hostile action. Not only were champions of the League known for their skill in combat, but with the League being such a powerful force on Valoran, most would think twice before engaging in any sort of confrontation with a champion. Clearly, these men weren't worried about starting an altercation, or the repercussions that would surely follow. This worried Gareth, and he reached out to grab Lux by the arm.

"Lux, we need to go. I'd rather avoid a confrontation," he said quickly.

Again, Lux shook her head. "It's no good. Look behind us."

Trusting the girl to watch his back, Gareth turned and looked back down the path.

Two more figures had seemingly materialized from the shadows behind them. Like the two other men, these figures were also toting short blades in their hands. They too began to move toward the pair. At this point, there was little doubt left in Gareth's mind that these men had malicious intentions.

"Damn. This isn't good," growled Gareth. He could feel his heartbeat quicken and his muscles tense. "This is bad. What should we do?"

Next to him, Lux reached into her cloak and pulled out a small baton. With a flick of her wrist, the baton extended, doubling in length. She turned to Gareth, a grim look on her face.

"I don't think we have many options here. We could break for the woods, but we would likely end up separated. Do you have any fighting experience, Gareth?"

Gareth responded with a nearly imperceptible nod. "I've had to fight my way out of some tough situations before, but nothing like this." While he was confident in his abilities to defend himself against an average single opponent, the situation still looked grim. Lux would likely be fine. Her military training and time as a champion would give her an advantage over most opponents. They were outnumbered two-to-one though, and Gareth knew he would struggle. Unlike Lux, he was unarmed and didn't have the assistance of magic. If the men in front of him were skilled, he knew that he wouldn't stand much of a chance at all.

Lux seemed to read his thoughts. "Stay close Gareth. I'll keep you out of harm's way," she said, turning her head slightly. "You take those two, and I'll take the others. If we can keep them at bay long enough, hopefully someone will hear the commotion and come." It was a reassuring thought, but they both had their doubts. They were still a good mile from the Institute, and it was late enough that not many people wouldn't be out and about.

Gareth turned his head and responded with a quick nod before turning back to face the two men advancing on him. He took a few steps to his left to give Lux some room, but stayed close enough that the two could still assist each other if needed.

Lux called out to the men again. "Please, we don't want any trouble. Just let us be on our way."

Lux's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the four strangers continued to advance. It would seem that diplomacy was not an option. Once the blade wielding men had closed to within 30 feet though, they stopped. As Gareth mentally prepared himself, the area around him was suddenly bathed in light. Without turning, he could tell that Lux was preparing to fight as well. With the surroundings now lit up, he could see his opponents more clearly. All the men were relatively similar in appearance, with short black hair and masks that covered their lower face. Beyond that, nothing about them really stuck out to him. They all wore plain brown cloaks, and were of average height and stature. If they were affiliated with any particular party, he couldn't tell.

From in front of him, one of the men stepped forward. He stood there for a moment, looking at Gareth through cold grey eyes. Gareth could tell that an attack was imminent, and moments later he was proven right.

The man advanced quickly, closing the gap between the two with just a few bounds.

Gareth twisted out of the way as sharp steel cut through the air where he had been standing only a moment before. He heard a clang as Lux parried her opponent's blade with her baton. _'She'll be fine,' _he thought, '_worry about yourself.' _He moved out of range as his opponent again attacked, this time stepping forwards with a quick thrust. Gareth knew instantly that he was in trouble. His opponent had a large reach advantage with his blade, and could dish out far more damage than Gareth could with just his fists. The cold hard truth was that he would likely be the loser. It was only a matter of time before he got caught by his enemy's blade. He shook his head and gritted his teeth. _'I'm not gonna let that time come."_

He managed to duck under his opponent's next swing, one that would have taken his head off if it had connected. This time though, instead of backing away, he stepped forward and fired a quick jab, snapping his opponents head back. He followed through with a hard right hook, knocking the dazed man off balance. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, he quickly looked over to where Lux was. To his surprise, he saw that she was fighting not one, but two men. It was then that he saw a third man lying face down in the snow, his body a smoking heap.

Gareth realized what was going on now. Lux was being focused. She had been deemed the larger threat after quickly dispatching the man on the ground. That's why only one man had attacked him. The other one had stood off to the side in order to assess the pair. Gareth knew he had to help Lux. She may have been a champion, but she had told him that she specialized in long range casting. While it seemed that she had some close quarters combat skills, Gareth could tell that she was struggling against the two opponents. He moved to assist her, but was stopped when he was pulled backwards. Looking back, he saw that his opponent had grabbed the hem of his cloak, clenching the fabric in his fist while still on the ground. Gareth sent a swift kick at the man's head, but it was blocked by a raised arm. Gareth quickly unfastened his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. Ignoring the biting cold, he quickly backed away as his opponent got back to his feet. He could see that the man was still on wobbly legs and pressed forward. This time, he'd make sure the man stayed down. He dodged a few swipes from the assailant, circling around to try to get at a good angle to attack, as well as to get a better view of Lux. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her launch a ball of light at her opponents. Moments later, he heard it explode, but was unable to see the results.

'_Damnit, this is taking too long. I need to help her,'_ he thought. Moving forwards, he became more aggressive as his still dazed opponent began to back away. When his opponent tried a quick backhand slash, Gareth was ready. He ducked in under the swing and came up, lashing out with a kick. He felt his shin dig into the other man's side and heard the satisfying sound of ribs cracking. He then quickly fired a quick right cross at his opponents head, but was surprised when the masked man slipped under the punch. Gareth jumped back just as the man swung his sword in a low sweep to counterattack. He felt a searing pain flash across his hip, and he knew that he had been hit. He stumbled a slight bit and fell to one knee, the pain distracting him for a second. His opponent saw this and decided to push his advantage. When Gareth regained his senses, he looked up to see his opponent's blade descending from above. There was no way he would be able to move in time. He threw his arm up, desperately trying to avoid taking the blow to the head. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the pain. That feeling, however, never came.

A loud clang resounded through the night sky. Gareth opened his eyes to see his opponent staggering backwards. Looking around, he noticed a slight shimmering light surrounding his body. One word crossed his mind.

_Lux._ She had told him about how she was able to bend light around herself and others in such a way that it could absorb the impacts from any physical or magical attack. How it worked was far beyond him, but there was no doubt in Gareth's mind that this was what had saved him.

Wasting no time, he charged his opponent, ducking as the off balance assailant swung his sword in desperation. As the sound of swinging steel sang overhead, Gareth swept the man off his feet and slammed him down with all his might. He suffered a small gash on his back, but paid no heed. He dropped his knee down heavily onto the man's sword arm, breaking it with a dull snap. The man screamed in pain, but was quickly silenced by two heavy blows to the temple from Gareth. This time, the man would not be getting up for a while.

Quickly getting to his feet, Gareth turned and ran to where Lux was still battling her two opponents. One of them saw him approach and quickly turned, slashing at Gareth's neck. Gareth quickly ducked under the attack, but was hit on the side of the head by a hard kick from the enemy combatant. He saw stars explode and crashed face first into the cold earth. He quickly rolled to the side, expecting to feel cold steel slip into his body at any second. When the feeling never came, he looked up.

The two assailants who were still standing had retreated. Gareth watched as they quickly gathered up the limp bodies of their comrades and vanished into the darkness. Still seeing stars from the blow to his head, he looked over to see Lux standing a few feet away, the light from her magic slowly fading away. She was breathing heavily, but seemed to be fine. He called out to her.

"Lux, are you okay?" he asked, finally getting up and walking over to her.

She turned to him and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine Gareth, don't worry."

"What the hell just happened?" he asked.

She looked off into the darkness where their attackers had disappeared. "I managed to drive them back with my magic after you took that hit. I guess they figured at that point that killing us wasn't going to be as easy as they thought." She said. "After all, they were facing a champion of Demacia."

Gareth chuckled at this. "Thank goodness that champion was on my side."

Lux smiled at him. "Well I couldn't let them kill us. We have an important match tomorrow." It was then that she noticed the blood seeping from his hip. "Gareth," she gasped, "you're hurt!"

He shook his head. "Don't worry, it's not that deep. I'll live." He then noticed that there was a small bloodstain in the snow at Lux's feet. "Lux, are you sure you're ok?" he asked, taking a step closer to her.

She suddenly lowered her gaze. "Well, I did take a small hit, but it's just a scratch."

Gareth's eyes narrowed as he noticed that Lux had one hand inside of her cloak. She was holding her side. "Lux, move your hand."

"It's nothing, don't worry," she said, her voice slightly shaky.

Gareth stepped towards her and grabbed her arm in a vice grip. "Move your hand," he growled, looking her in the eye.

She stared at him for a second before slowly removing her hand from inside her cloak. Gareth pushed the edge of the cloak aside. Even in the darkness, he could see a large dark stain on the side of Lux's shirt. He then grabbed her wrist and turned it so he could see her palm. It was covered in blood.

"Shit," muttered Gareth.

Lux shook her head. "It's not that bad…it's not…." Her voice faded as she seemed to struggle for words. Then, her eyes slowly closed and she crumpled to the ground.

It happened so fast that Gareth had no time to catch her. He quickly dropped down by her side.

"Lux! Lux!" he shouted, lightly shaking her. He put two fingers to her neck and found a weak, fluttering pulse. Her breathing was shallow, the uneven breaths visible as vapor in the cold night air. Gareth let loose a sigh of relief. She was alive. He needed to get her back to the institute quickly though. He didn't have any medical experience, but he knew that at the rate Lux was bleeding combined with the freezing temperature, she probably wouldn't last that much longer.

He quickly ran to retrieve his cloak, wrapping it around Lux's body to keep the girl warm. Scooping her up in his arms, he marveled at how strong she must have been to stay conscious for as long as she had. His own wounds began to send flashes of pain through his side and back, but he ignored it and began to run along the path to the Institute. At first the going was easy, with the light weight of Lux's body not being much of a hindrance. The movement from running soon began to take its toll though, and within only a few minutes, the cut on his hip was bleeding steadily. He felt relief wash over him as the blue lights of the Institute finally came into view. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anyone on the grounds that could assist him, and his legs felt like they were on fire. By the time he reached the bottom of the Institute steps, he felt like he was standing on legs made of rubber. The combination of blood loss and fatigue was just too much.

He fell to his knees and felt fear began to take hold of him. He looked down at the girl in his arms. She looked peaceful, but her skin was even paler than usual and her breathing had grown slightly ragged. Gareth cursed himself. She had protected him from his opponents blade. Without her there, he would probably be a bloody mess lying in the snow. When it came time for him to return the favor though, he couldn't do anything to help her. He started to yell, begging for anyone who could hear him to help. The Institute grounds were still empty though, and the building itself had closed its doors. His cries were not going to reach anyone. In desperation, he tried the only thing left that he could think of.

"_Sona!" _he cried out mentally. He had no idea if his cries would reach his friend's mind. He had never tried to use telepathy from so far away.

Still keeping up his mental cries, he slowly began to ascend the first of many steps. After only a few steps though, he found that his legs would no longer support him and he stumbled. He quickly turned mid-fall, crashing onto his back so that no harm would come to Lux. The impact was painful, but his body was so numbed by the cold that he barely noticed. He struggled for breaths, gasping in air to supply his overworked body with oxygen. He again looked at the girl cradled in his arms. Even wrapped up in Gareth's cloak, her body had begun to shiver. He considered leaving her there and continuing up the steps on his own to seek help, but discarded the idea. There was no way he could make it all the way up to the Institute, even on his own. He felt despair began to well up inside him. Never before had he felt that things were so out of his control. The feeling was terrible. He began to laugh, an action that he found confusing.

"Who the hell made this stair way so huge?" he gasped. He felt like collapsing to the side and giving up, but knew that if he did, there would be two dead bodies on the staircase by morning. He continued to laugh softly, unsure of what else he could do.

"Wha….what's so funny?"

The soft voice jolted Gareth out of his slightly crazed state. Looking down, he saw Lux's peering up at him through half-opened eyelids, her blue eyes missing their usual sparkle.

"What's so funny?" she repeated softly.

Gareth was astonished that she was conscious. He had figured that with the amount of blood she had lost, she was barely even alive. He had to keep her awake, for both her sake as well as his own.

"It's nothing," he answered. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She responded wearily. As she said this, her eyes slowly began to drift shut.

"Hey, hold on Lux! Try to stay awake," urged Gareth. "Do you remember what happened?" As he asked this, he balanced the girl on his knees while reaching into the folds of her cloak cocoon with one hand. He felt around until he found her side and tenderly searched for her wound. He found that it was still bleeding, and he knew that he had to get her help soon.

With her eyes still half open, Lux spoke. "We went to Roana and had quite a lot of fun. On the way back though, we were attacked. We managed to run them off but I…I don't recall much more." Shifting slightly in Gareth's arms, she turned her head to peer over the man's shoulder at the Institute building. "We're…back at the Institute?" she said weakly.

Gareth nodded at her. "Yeah. You took a hit during that fight though and you collapsed. It's still bleeding, so try not to move around a lot, okay?"

He was relieved that Lux was still alive, at least for the moment. With renewed hope, he attempted to stand, but found that he still could not. Unable to do anything else, he slowly scooted himself up a step, using his legs to push while keeping Lux secure in his arms. The pain in his hip flared up in protest yet again, but he powered through it, nearly numb to it anyway. Silently, he tried again to reach Sona. He willed his telepathic shouts to extend as far as possible, all the while continuing to slowly ascend the steps. Just as he was about to give up the mental cries to focus on getting up the stairs, he felt a small blip of surprise enter his mind. There were no words, simply a feeling of shocked emotion. Immediately he knew that he had finally broken through to Sona, and began to repeat his distress cries over and over. He felt her mental presence grow stronger, until at last, words finally began to flow between the two.

"_Gareth? Wha…wrong? Where…." _came Sona's broken voice.

Gareth kept his response short, not wanting the broken messages to be confusing. "_Institute steps. Lux hurt, bleeding bad. Hurry." _He repeated this message a few more times before looking back down at Lux. She stared back up at him through tired eyes.

"Is help coming?" she asked quietly.

Again Gareth nodded at her.

"Good." she said with a sigh. Then, she closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

Gareth tried to wake her, using both words and soft shakes, but his attempts were unsuccessful. He was relieved to see the vapor of her breath as she softly exhaled into the frigid air, but was worried that at some point it might stop. For what seemed like ages, he continued to climb the stairs on his back, taking one step at a time. His second wind began to wear off, and soon he was running on little more than will. Eventually, he felt as if even his mind was shutting down to help power his body. Even as he heard the heavy doors of the Institute open high above, he kept climbing. The thump of heavy footsteps and rattle of chains filled the air, and he could vaguely hear his name being shouted. From either side of his fading vision, he saw large, purple arms reach down and take a hold of Lux.

"Take care of her." he whispered, relinquishing his hold on the girl. He heard the familiar notes of an aria being played and knew that Sona had finally reached him. He felt his body go limp, his head falling backwards and coming to rest on a step. Snowflakes fell into his hood and onto his face, but he didn't care Looking at the world upside down, he could see the large mass of Alistar the Minotaur charging up the steps with Lux in his arms. He then saw Sona rushing towards him, her fingers flying across her etwahl as the green wispy tendrils of healing magic began to drift towards him.

"Take care of Lux." he said to her.

"_Don't worry, I already have. Alistar is rushing her to the infirmary wing. Right now, we need to concetrate of helping you, Gareth."_

All Gareth could do is nod. As the healing magic worked it's way to his hip, Gareth finally let himself relax. He heard a loud, shouting voice accompanied with the clank of heavy armor, but was too tired to look towards the source. He felt himself being lifted up in strong arms, but by then his eyes were closing. Moments later, he let himself slip into the dark embrace of unconsciousness, something that had been kept at bay for far too long.

* * *

**Author's note**

**Hey all, it's been a while. College is slowing down, just finals left, and I can only study for so long. So why not write? So a special thanks goes out to my friend Alex, who basically helped me figure out just how possible and realistic the outcome and choreography of that fight Gareth had was. Basically, he had a foam covered stick, I had my boxing gloves and shin guards, and we went to town. Turns out fighting against an armed opponent is hard (but you already knew that, right?) Anyway, I liked writing this one, and have some ideas backed up so hopefully I will be putting out more material soon!**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

For what seemed like an eternity, Gareth felt nothing but a dull pain. It seemed as if he was floating through a dark void, a spectral being in the presence of absolutely nothing at all. He felt alone, more so than he ever had before. What was going on? He recalled going out to Roana with Lux. The town, the restaurant, it was all clear in his mind. But what had happened after that and where was he now?

As he struggled to recall what had happened, a voice pierced through the dark haze.

"So they were attacked on the way back from Roana? What in the world could they have been doing there together?" asked the baritone voice.

_Ah, that's right. Lux and I… _As he thought this, the dark void began to clear from around him, slowly fading to grey, then white.

"It looks like he's coming around," came a second voice. This one was decidedly female.

_Am I unconscious? _wondered Gareth. As the void around him continued to clear, the voices he had heard continued to speak, although now they seemed distant, inexplicably muffled. Figures began to appear, and all of the sudden, Gareth was in a whole other place. He sat bolt upright, gasping and looking around wildly. He was in a bed, covered in a pale blue sheet. Two people stood on either side of him. The giant man to his left he recognized as Garen, clad in his heavy blue and gold armor. The woman on his right, however, he could not quite place. She looked familiar, with her long black hair and lithe frame, but he couldn't put a name to her pretty face. Her attire suggested that she was a nurse, though it seemed a bit revealing.

Gareth took a look around, trying to figure out what was going on. The room he was in was small, with what looked like medical equipment pushed up against the wall to his right. There was a tray on a stand next to the bed with syringes, cotton balls, and other medical supplies on it. Over the nurse's shoulder, he could see sunlight streaming through a window, the rays of light reminding him of a person for whom he felt great concern.

"Where…where's Lux?" he gasped.

The nurse placed a hand on Gareth's chest, firmly pushing him down onto his back.

"Calm down Gareth. Everything's fine, but you need to lie down. You're in the infirmary at the Institute," she said, confirming his suspicions.

"Where is she?" repeated Gareth, his tone still urgent, but a bit more refined.

"In another room," responded the nurse. "Don't worry, she's doing fine. She's a strong girl."

Gareth sighed. He could breathe a little easier knowing that she was safe.

"What in the world you and Lux were doing out at such a late hour?" questioned Garen.

Gareth scratched his head, trying to remember what it was that had landed him in the infirmary, but it was all a mess in his mind. "I'm having trouble remembering. It's all kinda foggy to be honest."

This response didn't seem to sit well with the big Demacian. "Well try thinking a little harder," he growled, reaching out and gripping Gareth's shoulder.

"Um… we were eating dinner, and…uh," stuttered Gareth.

"You were what?" asked Garen, his voice heavily intimidating.

Gareth began to panic a little. It was all coming back to him, but not fast enough. He winced as he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten. Did the man intend to crush his arm? He certainly seemed capable of it. It was then that Gareth realized that not only did his shoulder hurt, but so did the rest of his body. The wave of pain washed over him, making his vision blur momentarily. Just as he was about to cry out, the grip was suddenly released. As everything came back into focus, he was surprised to see that between him and Garen stood the much smaller nurse. Even more surprising was the large hypodermic she held firmly in her hand.

"Garen, I will not have you hurting my patient. It's time for you to leave." Her tone was calm, but laced with venom.

"Akali, I need answers _now_. An attack like this cannot go unanswered!" protested Garen.

_Akali? _It was a name that Gareth was familiar with. He had known that she was a Champion, but had no idea that she was a nurse as well. If that truly was who the woman was, then she certainly did pose a threat to the much larger man.

"You'll get your answers, but right now you need to let this man rest," she stated firmly. "He's already in enough pain. Do not test me, Garen. That armor of yours isn't as impenetrable as you think it is. I've found holes in it before, so don't think I won't do it again."

Garen seemed to hesitate, his eyes flicking back and forth between Gareth and the needlessly large needle in Akali's hand. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the female assassin could be dangerous even with just a hypodermic needle. Finally, with a disgruntled growl, he turned and stalked out of the room, his heavy footfalls and clanking armor resounding loudly in the hallway outside.

As the thump of Garen's boots faded away, Gareth again bolted up, another urgent question having entered his mind.

"What day is it?" he asked quickly, propping himself up with his arms.

Akali simply said "Thursday" before sweeping her arm into his, causing him to fall to his back.. "I told you to lie down, didn't I?" she snapped.

Gareth sighed. "Right, I guess I'll just do that then," he muttered.

"If you were going to ask about your match, don't even bother. There's no way I'm clearing you to leave. Your wound has mostly healed, but we don't need you moving around and tearing it wide open," stated Akali. She turned her back to Gareth to look at the readouts on a monitor, but continued to speak. "The High Council is looking for a replacement as we speak, I'm sure they'll find someone in time."

"Well when can I leave?" asked Gareth.

"If Soraka were here, you could have been gone ages ago. But she's not, so you'll probably have to wait one more day at least. All the moving you must have done tore the slash on your hip pretty bad."

"What about Lux?"

"She'll be okay, but it may be a while until she can leave. The stab wound she sustained was deep, and it punctured her liver. She lost a lot of blood, but thankfully we were able to tend to her in time." Akali turned, seemingly satisfied with what she had seen on the monitor. "She's lucky that she wasn't alone. If you hadn't been there, she most likely would have died."

These words struck a chord somewhere deep inside Gareth. He may have saved Lux, but he felt that he was somehow responsible for her injury in the first place. She had protected him. If she hadn't been there, he wouldn't have stood a chance. She didn't deserve to be the one who nearly died.

Gareth could feel himself slowly clenching his fists, and had to will himself to relax. He glanced at Akali, but she hadn't seemed to notice his fit of internal rage. If she had, it didn't show. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

"When can I see her?" he asked.

"I can't say for sure," replied Akali. "It all depends on how fast she recovers. It could be a few days or it could be a few weeks. For now, I would just worry about you. Get some rest and you'll be out in no time." She walked to the door and opened it, but turned to speak one last time. "I can tell you don't like being here and want to leave, but I suggest you don't. If you try, I'll know, trust me." With that, she turned on her heel and left, the door clicking shut behind her.

Now all alone, Gareth suddenly felt as if he had aged several decades. His mind was weary, as well as his body. His limbs suddenly felt heavy and his eyelids began to droop. All he wanted to do was get out of his room to go see Lux. To thank her, to wish her well, he didn't really care. For some inexplicable reason, he felt the need to see her. He stared longingly at the door and sighed. At the moment, it didn't matter what his mind wanted, because there was no way that his body could follow through with it. He turned over on his side, resting one arm under his pillow while using his other arm to cover his head. For several minutes, he simply laid there, his thoughts running rampant. The thoughts were still raging around in his mind even as he let his weariness take control and once again slipped into a heavy slumber.

* * *

It seemed like he had only been asleep for a split second before Gareth felt something brush softly against his arm. His eyes snapped open. The room was dark, but even through the gloom he could see a pair of remarkably blue eyes staring back into his.

_Lux…_

As his vision came more into focus, he realized that the eyes he was staring into didn't belong to the young light mage. They were a cool, soft blue, not the piercing crystal of Lux's eyes.

"Sona," he whispered, a weak smile coming to his lips.

The Maven smiled softly back at him, her long hair brushing up against his arm as she leaned over his bed. "_Gareth, I'm so glad to see that you are alright." _She drifted back a bit to give him room as he slowly sat up.

Gareth grunted with the effort. His arms felt like they were made of jelly, but he managed to sit up enough to lean back against wall behind him. He glanced over at the window and saw the pale face of the moon. It was well into the night.

Still physically weary, he decided that saving his breath would be beneficial. _"What brings you here?" _he asked, conveying his question mentally.

"_You, of course," _she responded. "_You have no idea how worried I've been since we found you on the steps."_

"_I'm sorry to have concerned you so much, Sona. I didn't have much of a choice though."_

Sona shook her head, placing her hand on Gareth's. _"It's not your fault. What happened to you out there?"_

Gareth told her everything that he could remember about the sudden assault, trying to include as much detail as he could. Sona listened intently, allowing him to speak uninterrupted. Only when he was finished did she allow her thought to flow into his.

''_Do you have any idea who could have done this?" _she asked.

It was Gareth's turn to shake his head. _"I have no clue. They never announced their intentions or affiliations. They didn't even hesitate. They just attacked." _He paused, taking a moment to relive the battle once again in his mind. The flashes of steel, the crunch of bones, it was all still very vivid. He could still feel the warmth of Lux's blood on his hands and see the light fade from her eyes as she collapsed to the ground. Above all, he could still feel a fear unlike any he had ever felt before. It was the kind of fear that made his heart drop just thinking about it. What made it so unfamiliar was still a mystery to him, but he could still feel traces of it coursing through him.

"_What's bothering you so much Gareth?"_

Gareth quickly tried to mask his expression. _"I'm sorry?"_

"_Don't try to fool me," _scolded Sona._ "We grew up together. Do you not think that I can tell when something is disturbing you?"_

"_Sona, that was nearly eight years ago," _countered Gareth.

"_What's the matter Gareth? Tell me." _

Gareth sighed. He stared at the foot of his bed, deep in thought. Why couldn't she just leave him be? He wanted to ask her what this fear he felt was, but he couldn't. No, this was a conflict best handled alone. It was the way he had always gone about solving his problems. Why was there any need to change now?

"_Gareth."_

His head snapped up. He had never heard Sona speak to him in such a sharp tone. He looked back at her, his eyes telling her to continue.

"_Don't carry this all by yourself. I can tell that something is troubling you deeply. Let me help."_

_Don't carry this all by yourself…_the mental message seemed to echo in the small room. Where had he heard those words before?

_Lux…_

He had made a promise to the girl. Did he already intend to break it? No, he couldn't do that to her. Not after all that she had said to him just to make him listen. She had poured out her heart to him, and for him to betray her now would be unforgivable.

"Alright Sona, do you want to know what's bothering me?" he whispered. In the otherwise silent room, it was odd to hear his own voice, but he didn't care. "Last night, when I was running back to the Institute with Lux in my arms, I felt so afraid. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It wasn't the kind of fear that quickens the pulse—no, I'm familiar with that. This made me feel as if my heart had stopped. It made me feel helpless. I can't explain it." He stopped, waiting for Sona to respond. To his surprise, she didn't offer an answer, but a question instead.

"_You blame yourself for what happened to Lux, don't you?"_

Gareth slowly nodded his head, a silent response. He felt Sona softly squeeze his hand, her gentle touch reassuring.

"_It is by no means your fault that she was injured. Defeating an armed opponent while you yourself were unarmed is no mean feat. You had your hands full. You did all you could to help her," _asserted the Maven.

"Your wrong," said Gareth in a low voice. He gritted his teeth. "I could have done more. I could have done so much more…_"_

At first, Sona thought that he was simply venting his anger. The tone of his voice seemed to suggest otherwise though. She cocked her head to one side, a confused look coming across her face. _"What do you mean? You're just a summoner, Gareth."_

Instead of answering her, Gareth swept aside his sheet and kicked his legs over the side of the bed so that he sat with his back facing Sona. Then he removed his shirt, dropping it off the side of the bed onto the floor.

His actions puzzled her. "_What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving around like that Gareth. Please lie back down."_

Gareth shook his head. "Sona, there is still a lot that you don't know about me. What I'm about show you must never be mentioned to anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

For a brief moment, there was no response from the woman. Then, she answered.

"_Yes, I understand."_

Gareth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't keep every secret from her forever. "Lock the door," he commanded. As soon as he heard the lock on the door click into position, he spoke again. "You are familiar with mana, correct?" It was a rhetorical question, but he felt that it was one that needed to be asked. A small mental laugh filled his head, though it was obviously laced with nervousness.

"_Of course I am, Gareth. What champion wouldn't be? It's the source of energy that all living beings draw from. Many of us use mana on the Fields when we are battling."_

Gareth nodded. She was correct, of course. There was, however, much more to it than her short summary. It was true that all living beings drew energy from the mana that flowed throughout the world. Without it, life itself would perish. While every being relied on the essence to survive, most unknowingly, some had more control of it than others. An average person had little to no control over mana. Those who had more control over it could use the energy to do anything from healing to hurting.

"That's good. Then you'll understand what your about to see." He closed his eyes, reaching within himself for something that he had not tried to access for years. For several seconds, nothing seemed to happen. Just as Gareth began to suspect that he may have been wrong, he heard a sharp intake of breath from Sona, and the room was bathed in a soft red glow.

The glow was not coming from where one would expect it to. It didn't come from outside, nor did it come from the light fixtures in the ceiling. To Sona's astonishment, the luminescence emanated from Gareth's back, the bare skin radiating a soft, fiery light. At first it was nothing distinct, just a shapeless patch. Then, as the seconds ticked by, the patch began to focus itself into a circle, quickly becoming a ring of crimson light on Gareth's back. Sona watched in amazement as a line of light began to cross from one side of the ring to the other at an angle. She drifted closer to Gareth's bed, her eyes never wavering from the symbol that burned like an angry scar on her friend's back. She slowly reached out a hand, her slender fingers coming in contact with the mark. She traced the outline with her fingertips, the soft touch doing nothing to break Gareth's concentration.

"_Gareth…" _she whispered, her telepathic voice barely registering in Gareth's mind. _"This…it can't be…"_ She began to tremble, her hands wavering for a moment.

Sensing the woman's unease, Gareth opened his eyes, breaking his concentration. Slowly, the room sunk back into darkness as the symbol faded from his back. He felt Sona's hand settle on his shoulder and turned his head to look at her. When he looked into her eyes, all he could see was a mixture of fear and sadness.

"_Gareth, was that a silence seal?"_

Gareth gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "Yeah, it was." He turned his head, staring down at the floor. He knew what she would ask next, but prayed silently that question would never surface. For a few tense seconds, he thought that his prayers had been answered, but then she asked him the simple question he had been hoping to avoid.

"_Why? Those are used to restrict one's mana flow. Why would you be sealed?"_

_Why? _That one word unleashed a torrent of strife inside of Gareth. He wanted to tell her why, to tell her everything that she didn't know about him, everything down to the smallest detail. He had been hiding it all from her since he had come to the institute months ago, yet even now he felt that he was revealing too much too soon. He would have to keep her in the dark, at least until he had more time to think things through. It pained him greatly to do so, but he couldn't see any other course to take.

"Sona," he whispered, "at one time, I could have easily killed those men. Together, Lux and I would have destroyed them without breaking a sweat. We could've gotten out of there without so much as a scratch. That's all I can tell you."

His words stunned Sona. She had never heard him speak in such a manner, the coldness that crept into his voice a stranger to her ears. Unsure of how to react, she did the only thing that she could think of. Remembering their days together years ago at the orphanage, she slowly approached Gareth and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. She stayed that way until he looked up and turned to peer at her.

"What are you doing, Sona?" he asked quietly.

"_Remember years ago, when we were together at the orphanage? We used to do this whenever the other was troubled._" she said, her melodic mental voice reaching his mind.

This brought a slight smile to Gareth's face. "Of course I remember. If I remember correctly, you'd never let go until I said I was better." He shifted slightly in an attempt to free himself, but Sona clung on tight. "Come on Sona…'' He began to squirm around, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get her to let go. He sighed, but at the same time felt relieved. The small blast from the past had been just the distraction he had needed.

"Okay Sona, I'm feeling better now. You can let go."

"_Do you promise?" _she asked a slight bit childishly.

He reached up to his neck and gently pulled one of Sona's arms from around it. Holding her arm out in front of him, he turned her palm upwards and softly traced out the words '_I promise'_ on her hand. This seemed to satisfy the woman, and she unwrapped her arms from around him. She watched as he slowly lifted his legs back onto the bed and laid down, turning on his side to face her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was tired.

"_Well I should probably let you get some rest. I will try to come by tomorrow to see you. I wish you well, Gareth. Good night," _she said, turning to leave.

"Good night Sona, and thank you," he responded, closing his eyes.

Halfway to the door, however, Sona turned back to face Gareth. _"Gareth…" _she said, her voice trailing off.

Gareth opened one eye, peering at her through a half-closed eyelid. "Yes?"

"_The fear that you say you felt as you were carrying Lux back to the Institute. I believe that I felt the same kind of fear when I saw you lying there on the steps. I think that you are right when you say that it's not just fear of dying or getting hurt."_

Gareth remained silent, interested in what it was that the Maven had to say.

"_Fear that makes your heart stop and makes you feel as though there is nothing you can do. I believe that what we both felt was the fear that we might lose someone who we held close to our hearts," _she mused.

And with the click of the closing door, Gareth was once again alone. For a while, he continued to lie there, trying to fall asleep. Every time it seemed as if he was about to drift off, his mind would go back to Sona's parting words. Her theory must have been wrong. He had known Lux for only a few days, how could he care for her that much? Sure, they had bonded a little during their night in Roana, but that had just been a friendly outing. But then again, why had he suddenly become so protective of the girl?

_I was simply worried for her safety, _he thought to himself._ She's a high standing figure on Valoran, I couldn't just let her die. That's all there is to it._

At first, it seemed like that was all there was to it. The more he repeated the thought to himself though, the more he felt as if it were a lie. Soon, his mind was enveloped in a firestorm of doubt. Perhaps there _had_ been more than just a sense of duty that had given him the drive to make it back to the Institute. It was then that he decided that perhaps the best course of action was to go see the girl.

He recalled the warning that Akali had given him before she had left, and quickly chose to ignore it. _I need to see her, if only for a moment, _he thought. He swung his legs off of the bed and stood, his bare feet slightly chilled by the cool tiled floor underfoot. As he stood for the first time in more than a day, he realized just how worn out his body really was. He had to brace his arm against the wall for a moment, allowing the stars that had appeared in his vision to dissipate. Slowly, he walked, gradually relying less and less on his arm to keep him balanced until he made it to the door. Once he was sure that he was stable, he reached for the door knob and turned it. He slowly opened the door, trying to be as quiet as he possibly could. Before he had even opened the door more than a few inches though, he stopped.

There was someone on the other side. Through the space between the door and the door jamb, Gareth could see a portion of what looked to be cloak, as well as a booted foot. Both looked slightly familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen them before. Curiosity got the better of him and he looked up as he opened the door. The sight of the man who came into view caused Gareth's eyes to widen. It was one of the men who had attacked him and Lux, the one who Gareth himself had knocked out cold. While the man could have originally been described as quite ordinary looking, he was now sporting several bruises and a nose that was undoubtedly broken. The one feature of him that had stood out significantly, however, was his eyes. They were a bright, electric green. The unnatural color did nothing but add to the fear that Gareth was suddenly feeling. His mysterious assailant only had time to snarl before Gareth slammed the door in his face.

Adrenaline flowing through him, Gareth no longer felt the fatigue he had moments ago. Bracing his back against the door, he only had a moment to wonder what the hell it was that he had just seen before a fist smashed through the door mere inches from his head.

* * *

**Author's note.**

**New chapter! This ones a bit uneventful, but does contain some very important stuff. Sorry it took so long to put out for those of you who were waiting. I'd list my reasons, but there's not much point, it is what it is. So I hope you like it and if you don't mind, drop off a review whether it be good or bad. Thanks for your time!**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gareth barely had time to gape at the power of the punch before the assailant's arm snaked around his neck, pinning him to the door. The strength of the man was unbelievable. He was not much larger then Gareth but clearly much more powerful. Gareth desperately grappled with his attackers arm, but quickly found himself in a losing battle. He began seeing stars as his lungs frantically cried out for oxygen. He knew that if he didn't do something soon, Akali would be returning to find a dead patient. He turned his head, trying to get his keep the chokehold from constricting his airway as he worked his hands in between the arm and his neck. He pried with all his strength, but progress was slow even with his two arms against the one. It took several seconds for him to force the arm away until there was just enough room for him to slip to the side and escape. He dropped to the floor and scrambled away from the door as the other man's arm quickly disappeared back through the hole in the door.

As he took refuge behind his bed, his mind was ablaze with questions. What was the man doing here and how had he gained such titanic strength? Hadn't the arm that had just pinned him to the door been broken in their last encounter? For several seconds he sat, trying to calm his breathing as silence once again overtook the room. He slowly went prone, peering at the door through the gap between his bed and the floor. He couldn't see any movement through the hole in the door. Had the man left? He began to stand up, but froze as he heard a click. Glancing quickly back towards the door, he saw the knob turning.

_Shit. Forgot to lock it, _he thought. Remembering the man's bare-knuckled fist crashing through the heavy wooden door, he quickly came to the conclusion that it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. He looked around frantically for a weapon, searching the tray next to his bed. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that someone had come in and cleaned up after Akali. The tray was completely empty. Still unarmed, he came up with a new game plan.

_I just need to stall. Surely someone heard the noise. _

He could feel the initial rush of adrenaline wearing off, and knew that his worn and weary body wouldn't last long in a full on brawl. He would have to escape somehow. He ran to the window and peered out just as the door behind him opened. Looking down, Gareth immediately crossed off the window as an escape means. The ground was nearly 40 feet below him. There was no way he would make it down without serious injury or death. Groaning out of exasperation, Gareth turned to face his attacker. He was unarmed, fatigued, and injured. In comparison, his opponent seemed perfectly healthy and inhumanly strong. The odds were certainly with the stranger. The man slowly stalked through the doorway, his eyes still that inhuman shade of green.

Gareth raised his hands in a passive gesture, trying to buy any time that he could. "Look," he said, "I'm unarmed. Can't we just talk? What is it you want?"

In response, the man simply growled at him, the corner of his mouth pulled back in a snarl. This made Gareth frown in confusion. While he wasn't surprised by the man's lack of compromise, he was still puzzled by his behavior. During their first encounter, the man had been completely silent and attacked swiftly. Now, he approached Gareth like cornered prey. His behavior, which had once been quiet and professional, was now borderline animalistic. It looked like there was no possibility of talking his way out of this.

Gareth's eyes quickly darted over man's shoulder to the doorway behind him. He had to escape, it was his only option left. He didn't even consider fighting unless he absolutely had to. It would likely only lead to a painful defeat.

The stranger got closer until he was only a few feet away. Then, he let out a primal roar and lunged at Gareth with both hands. Gareth batted aside the man's hands and ducked under the lunging body, making a dash for the door. Even though the door was only fifteen feet away, it seemed like miles. He had only made it a few steps when he felt the man grab the back of his shirt. He felt like a dog that had just run to the end of its chain. He wasn't even able to pull his attacker a few more feet with him; it was like trying to pull a brick wall. He frantically twisted, swiftly working his way out of his shirt. When he snapped his head back up however, he had no time to avoid the punch coming straight at him. He turned his head and tried to roll with it as the fist slammed into his the side of his head, but he still blacked out for a split second when it connected. The force of the blow nearly spun him around and he crashed to the floor in a dazed heap. The taste of blood filled his mouth as he turned over just in time to see the sole of his assailant's boot descending towards his face. Quickly rolling to avoid getting stomped, he instinctively reached out for the man's leg. Wrapping his arm around it, he torqued on the man's foot and was rewarded with a dull snap as he broke his attacker's ankle.

The man howled in pain and dropped to one knee. Gareth tried to take the opportunity to once again scramble for the door, but his eyes widened as he felt two hands close around his leg in a crushing vice grip. He had no time to react as he was violently swung around and thrown towards the wall, slamming into it back-first. He fell to the floor still conscious, but unmoving.

Gareth had never felt so much pain in his life. He simply watched as the mysterious man slowly got to his feet and began limping towards him. Once again, his escape route was blocked. _Guess this is it, _he thought. _Damn. _

As he looked at the man, he felt as if he were staring at death itself. He got to his hands and knees and coughed, spraying specks of blood on the clean tile floor. He knew that the situation looked grim, but he wasn't quite ready to give up. There was no way he was going to die by the hands of a savage man who he didn't even know. He ignored the signals of protest that his body was screaming out to him and got to his feet. Too tired to even bring his hands up, he stood with his back against the wall as his opponent continued to slowly advance on him.

Gareth knew that he would have to fight with all that he had if he wanted to see the sun rise again, and that's exactly what he did. As soon as the man limped to within a few feet, Gareth stepped forward and let loose with an uppercut that landed flush with the man's jaw. While it would have dropped an ordinary man, it seemed to only enrage the primal stranger, who shook off the blow like it was nothing. Even when Gareth connected again with a heavy handed right hook, his opponent simply took the blow and lunged for him. This time, Gareth was too slow to avoid the attack. He felt a hand close around his throat as he was pushed back against the wall. He tried furiously to free himself, but his vision began to blur as he once again found himself slowly being choked to death. His opponent wore a feral grin, the feeling of triumph evident by his expression. Darkness began to creep into the edges of Gareth's peripherals, and he knew that his time was up.

Through the darkness though, there shone a light.

Both Gareth and the mysterious assailant were caught off guard as a sphere of twisted light flew into the room, lighting the place up like flare. It came to rest a mere yard from where the two battling men stood, hovering of its own accord. While the green-eyed man seemed confused by the floating oddity, Gareth knew exactly what it was. Powered by little more than will, he kicked out with both legs at his distracted opponent, sending the man stumbling backwards. Now freed and still gasping for air, Gareth turned and dove towards his bed. He landed on top of it and rolled off the edge, grabbing the sides of the mattress as he went. He hit the ground hard with the mattress on top of him.

"BLOW IT!" he yelled.

An instant later, there was a deafening bang. Gareth heard glass shatter and felt something heavy slam into the mattress covering his body. The concussive force of the blast felt like a kick to the chest.

Gareth waited for several seconds after the bang before kicking the mattress off of him. His ears were still ringing as he looked toward the door to see if his rescuer was, although he was already sure that he knew. He almost smiled as his eyes settled on a tired looking Lux, who stood leaning in the doorway with her baton down by her side. She did manage a smile, along with a small, tired wave.

"Guess it's a good thing I decided to drop by," she quipped.

Gareth rolled along the floor until he reached the discarded mattress, crawling onto it and collapsing with a grunt. He almost felt too exhausted to be relieved. How many times would he have to face death?

"Yeah," he remarked, "I suppose it was." He turned his head and watched as she quietly walked toward him, broken glass crunching under the soles of the slippers she wore. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Terrible," she responded. "The infirmary staff did a spectacular job patching me up, but I'm still worn out. That Lucent Singularity spell blew the last of my energy. I'm spent." She stopped and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "So who was that?" she asked casually.

"Guy from last night. Guess he didn't like me pounding on him or something." Looking around, he suddenly realized that there was no trace of the man. "Where did that brutish bastard go anyway?" he asked.

Lux pointed at the window, which had been completely shattered. "Blew him out the window."

For a moment, all Gareth could do was stare at the girl. Then, the two burst out laughing. They continued laughing for several more seconds until Gareth was forced to stop by the pain in his side.

"Why hasn't someone come to investigate?" he asked, still chuckling a little.

Lux shrugged her shoulders. "The infirmary is usually a little short-staffed around Snowdown. You know, people going to visit their families and all. Akali is volunteering as a nurse to help out, but she's probably off the clock right now. I'm sure someone is on the way right now. Speaking of security, I wonder if my guard detail will notice that I'm gone." Seeing the confused look in Gareth's eyes, she continued speaking. "My brother left some men to guard my room. He gave them strict orders not to leave their post under any circumstances, which means that the whole building could have been burning down around them and they wouldn't have left. It was a breeze sneaking past them though. Just a little trick of the light was all it took."

"I met your brother today," said Gareth. "He seemed to care about you quite a bit. Enough to almost take my arm off, actually."

The girl sighed. "I wish. He's not worried about my safety for my sake. He's worried about my safety for Demacia's sake."

Gareth turned over onto his back so that he could address the girl better. "What do you mean by that?"

"If I were to be killed, the people of Demacia would be devastated," she explained. "To see that one of their champions was slain would likely be very disheartening to them. A few years ago, there was a close call involving Prince Jarvan. Someone managed to successfully infiltrate the Demacian Royal Palace, even making it to Jarvan's very own quarters. The intruder never actually attempted to kill him, but he left a note in the prince's room to let him know how close he had come. The assassin simply took the prince's coronation ring and left. Ever since then, Garen has been paranoid about every little thing. For a while, he even made me travel around with a guard at all times until I finally begged him to let up a little."

"I'm sure he still cares about you," reassured Gareth. "You are his sister after all." The words sounded a tad hollow to him considering the fact that he had never really known his family, but he still meant them wholeheartedly.

Lux smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I hope you're right."

Exhaling deeply, Gareth closed his eyes. His body still hurt all over, but by now the pain had dulled a little. Still, he was exhausted. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're alright Lux, but you should probably be getting back to your room. I'll explain everything to the staff when they get here."

This seemed to make Lux uncomfortable. She simply sat for a second, clearly conflicted about something.

Curious, Gareth propped himself up on his elbows and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Um…actually, Gareth, I was wondering if I could maybe, you know, stay here?" she asked nervously, her voice slightly squeaking. Her eyes shifting to the side, she quickly added, "Just for a few hours."

The question clearly startled Gareth. He didn't even attempt to hide it. "Huh?"

Lux fidgeted around a bit, seemingly searching for an answer. "This is the second night in a row I've had to fight off someone, and after something frightening like that, I don't want to be alone. Well, that and the fact that I'm way too tired to sneak back past those two men my brother posted at my door."

Gareth opened his eyes to look at her, dumbfounded. _This girl…what's with her? _

While he instinctively wanted to tell her no, something kept him from doing so. He wasn't quite sure what it was. Perhaps it was the fact that around Lux, he found that he could relax, something that he sometimes couldn't even manage around Sona. Or maybe he himself didn't want to be alone either. Whatever it was, Gareth relented when he saw the pleading look in the girl's eyes.

"Alright," he said with a sigh. "You get to do the explaining if anyone that asks."

"It's a deal," she said with a grin.

Gareth moved over to give the girl plenty of room on the mattress, letting his right arm hang off the side and touch the tiling.

Instead of taking the offered space, Lux let her body fall backwards from where she sat, landing with her head and shoulders on the edge of Gareth's bare chest. The sudden move startled the summoner, who brought his head up to look at the girl.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She turned her head, looking at him through those blue eyes of hers. "What, a girl can't get close to the man that saved her life?" she purred in response.

Speechless, Gareth let his head fall back down onto the mattress. No matter what she did, she always seemed to fluster him one way or another. He lifted his head back up to let off a remark, but when he looked down at her he saw that her eyes had closed. He felt her body relax and realized that she had fallen asleep. It was almost soothing to see her lying there so peacefully, especially after what had happened in the past two days. He found it odd that he didn't really mind her closeness, but decided to dismiss the feeling for the time being. Laying his head back down, he barely had any time to wonder what it was that Lux was playing at before he too fell into peaceful slumber.

* * *

Thirty seconds after Gareth fell unconscious, Akali flew into the room, her dual kamas held the ready. She quickly scanned her surroundings, relaxing as she concluded that there were no threats present. She had been in a match, but upon hearing about a disturbance coming from her patient's room, she had rushed to the infirmary as soon as the match had ended. Looking around, she wondered what could have possibly happened. It looked as if Ziggs had blown through the room. Then again, if Ziggs _had_ blown through, there most likely wouldn't have been any room left.

The window was gone and all of the overhead lights were blown out. There was a large indentation in the drywall as if something had slammed into it, and the bedframe was a mangled wreck. But where was her patient? It took her a moment, but then she spotted a pair of feet sticking out from behind the twisted bedframe. Slowly walking around it, her eyes came to rest on the pair dozing on the mattress.

_Well…it would seem that this pair can't keep out of trouble, _she thought, shaking her head in disbelief. She reached down to shake them awake, but stopped short. Taking one another glance around the room, she figured that whatever had taken place must have been exhausting for the two. Sighing, she stood back up. Questioning could wait. She quietly examined both of them, skillfully handling their bodies without waking either of them. Once she was satisfied that neither one of them had sustained any life threatening injuries, she muttered a small healing spell. Wispy green tendrils of healing magic flew from her fingertips and wrapped themselves around the sleeping pair before slowly fading away. While it wasn't much, it would heal any scrapes and bruises they had, as well as lessen the pain that they would most likely be feeling when they woke. With a nod of approval to herself, she turned and walked out into the hallway. As she turned back to shut the door, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her neck to see a terrified matron peering at her through wide eyes.

"Is everything in there alright?" asked the matron, pointing towards the door.

Akali smiled reassuringly. "Everything is fine," she responded. "I'll take care of everything from here."

The matron let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. "Thank goodness. When I heard that terrible racket, I came to investigate. I would have looked into it for myself, but when I saw the hole in the door I figured it would be best to wait for you to arrive."

Akali nodded in agreement. "You were right to do so. The situation could have been dangerous." _And by the looks of it, most likely was,_ she added mentally.

The matron smiled and turned to leave, but stopped when Akali placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes?" she asked.

"You wouldn't happen to have a pen and paper, would you?" asked the ninja.

Puzzled, the matron fished around in her pockets for a moment before producing a small notepad and a pen. She handed them over to the other woman.

"Thank you. You may go now," said Akali. She watched as the woman turned and walked down the hall, waiting until she was out of sight before turning her attention to the notepad. She quickly scrawled a message on the topmost piece of paper and ripped it out. Quietly opening the door to Gareth's room, she walked back inside, taking care not to step on the shards of broken glass littering the floor. She quickly walked over to a cabinet on the wall which had miraculously been untouched and opened it, pulling out a roll of tape. With the roll in hand, she exited the room and closed the door. She took the note that she had written and carefully taped it on the door so that it covered up the hole. Taking a step backwards, admiring her work.

_Do not disturb, patient resting. _

While it wouldn't keep out anyone who meant to harm the two inside, it would at least keep away the prying eyes of any passersby. Looking at the hallway clock, she saw that it was time for her shift to begin. While she would likely be needed everywhere in the infirmary throughout the day, she would take care to keep a close eye on those two. At least having them in the same room would make that a bit easier. What wouldn't be easy would be explaining to the High Council why she left a pair of patients in a room that looked like a warzone.

_Then again, _she thought, _no one said being a nurse was easy. _Still, this was a bit out of the norm. With a long, drawn out sigh, she turned and headed down the hall to go switch into her uniform and begin her work. It was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

**Author's note**

**Here's another one! Wow, this one came out quick, but hey, when you've got the inspiration, it's a breeze! So a few people have asked me why I portray Lux the way I do, as in "Not all super sunny and happy and stuff." If your curious as to why I portray her as such, read her League Judgement. I feel that it really gives a good idea of what Lux may really be like, but that's just my opinion. Also, if your going "Akali doesn't have healing," I figure it would be beneficial for all Institute nurses to have at least a basic understanding of healing magic. Again, just putting my own ideas in, but hey, that's where half the fun is! So as always, drop a review off if you don't mind. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings. Also, PM me if you see any errors so I can correct them. Take care!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Three days after nearly being killed for the second time, Gareth walked out of the Institute of War's Infirmary wing. The last three days had been full of ups and downs. Fortunately, none of his injuries had been life threatening, and most were easy fixes. He had only been mildly surprised to hear that no body had been found on the grounds outside of his infirmary room window the morning after the attack. The man had seemed nearly invincible when they had fought. He wasn't quite sure how the League planned on covering up the true reason behind the carnage that had been left behind, but he was sure they would find a way.

Unfortunately for him though, the High Councilors of the League weren't the only people concerned about the most recent incident. Upon hearing that the assailant had been one of the men who had ambushed him and Lux on their way from Roana, the Demacian government had once again come seeking answers, much to Gareth's annoyance.

Luckily for Gareth, the interrogator they sent had not been Garen. Instead, Demacia had sent a government investigator to do the questioning. The man had seemed a little green, asking run-of-the-mill questions without much prying. Because of this, Gareth had little trouble bending the truth to leave Lux out of the story. His answers had seemingly satisfied the investigator, who left promptly after the questioning was over. Since then, Gareth hadn't heard a word about the investigation, and he was beginning to doubt that he ever would.

As for Lux, she had visited him every night of his stay, slipping past the guards posted at her door like it was child's play. The two would sit and chat for hours until one of them got tired. Then, they would bid each other farewell and Lux would leave, promising to return the next night. By the third night, Gareth had found himself anticipating Lux's arrival, constantly looking towards the door and trying not to fall asleep.

Shaking the memories from his head, Gareth sighed. While he had been cleared to leave, Lux had told him that the doctors wanted her to stay for at least another day. That meant he likely wouldn't be seeing her at all for the next twenty-four hours. He still wasn't sure how he felt about the girl. She certainly meant something to him, but just what it was still left him wondering. Shaking his head, he continued on through the halls of the Institute. As he walked, he began to notice something that intrigued him. It seemed that everywhere he looked, there were groups of summoners huddled together and whispering. Every now and then he would catch one of them staring at him. He dismissed the odd behavior as simple curiosity. By now, it was likely that there were stories circulating through the League's populace about him and Lux. As long as those stories didn't interfere with his life, he didn't care. Even with all of the subtle attention, he was glad to finally be out and walking around again. He had begun to feel cooped up in his infirmary bed.

Approaching the door to his room, he took out his keys and unlocked it. Opening the door slowly, he peered inside. With all of the mayhem that had happened recently, he found himself being a bit more cautious than usual. When he was satisfied that everything was the way he had left it, he walked in and closed the door behind him. He leaned back, letting the door support him. He had to admit that it felt good to be back in his own room again. He had never quite been comfortable with the unfamiliarity of the infirmary room. Sure, it had been accommodating, but it hadn't been home. He walked to his bedroom, standing in the doorway for a moment before continuing on. Walking to the dresser in the corner, he pulled out some fresh clothes and made his way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. Stripping down to bare skin, he stepped into the steaming shower, letting the hot water cascade down his body. He stood there as still as a statue for nearly thirty minutes, doing nothing but reflecting. He thought about the events of the past, both recent and long ago. Nothing could compare to the last few days he had experienced. He was familiar with the feelings of both fear and desperation, but never before had he felt them so strongly. Just the thought of the recent attempts on his life caused his heart to race.

When he was done showering, he changed into the clothes he had picked out. Now wearing jeans and a plain black shirt, he walked out of the bathroom and sat down in one of the chairs in the living area. Looking around, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Even though he had been in the hospital for less than a week, it had felt like ages, and he had a feeling that it would take a few days for him to get back into his regular routine. Tapping his hand on the arm rest, he began to feel a bit silly just sitting there, so he was glad when he heard a knock on the door. Gladness was quickly overtaken by paranoia though as he remembered what had happened those few nights ago, and he stood up tentatively.

"Who is it?" he called out cautiously.

"_I'll give you a hint," _came a melodic mental message.

Breathing easy, Gareth walked to the door and opened it, revealing Sona drifting patiently on the other side, plucking single notes on her etwahl.

"_It's good to see you out of the infirmary,"_ she said with a smile.

"It's good to be out," responded Gareth. "I was beginning to get sick of that place. Lying in bed for all day isn't really an exhilarating experience. Anyway, what are you doing here? Did you come by just to say hello?"

"_Partly, yes, but I also came to tell you that the High Council plans on making an announcement regarding the Celebration of Snowdown. They'll be announcing it in the Grand Hall in a few minutes, so I figured we could walk together."_

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" asked Gareth.

"_The message was sent out just last night while you were still in the infirmary," _replied Sona.

"Ah. Of course."

Sona's eyes narrowed a bit as she peered at him. He didn't to be his usual perceptive self. "_Are you alright, Gareth? You don't seem quite yourself."_

Gareth blinked a few times at her, then shook his head. "Ah, no, it's nothing. These last few days have just been pretty wild that's all." As he said this, he looked back into her eyes, wondering if she herself was alright. Neither of them had spoken a word about the secret of his Silence Seal that he had shared with her during the visit in the infirmary, and while he knew that she was the last person on Runeterra that would pry, he was sure that she was was no real reason not to be. He felt a pang of guilt, but pushed it away as he had done many times before. She was the closest thing he had to a family, but there were secrets that even a family didn't need to know.

"_Well then, shall we go?" _asked Sona, breaking Gareth's train of thought.

He recovered quickly. "Of course, after you," he said, gesturing down the hall. Making sure to lock the door on the way out, he followed Sona down the hallway. Soon, the pair merged into a stream of other people all filing towards the Grand Hall. Even now, he noticed that the occasional glance was thrown his way, some lasting a bit longer than others. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone approached him, but until then, he wasn't going to let it bother him.

Even with all of the voices resounding throughout the hallway, Gareth could easily hear Sona in his head when she spoke to him.

"_So how are your injuries? You haven't said anything about them." _

Not wanting to speak aloud in case there were any open ears nearby, Gareth responded mentally, keeping his eyes forward as he communicated.

"_I can't feel them anymore, but Akali told me I need to stay away from summoning for a week or so. Unfortunately, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do while I wait," _he said with a sigh. "_I've never had that much spare time on my hands." _He looked over to Sona. "Do you have any ideas?" he asked aloud.

Sona drifted in silence for a moment before answering. "_Well I'm afraid that we won't be able to do much together, seeing as I have quite a full schedule of matches this week. However,"_ she said looking back at Gareth with a mischievous smile on her face, "_it's likely that Lux will be free. Chances are she won't be allowed into any matches for a while due to her injuries just like you."_

Sona seemed amused by the look of unease that crossed Gareth's face. She wasn't surprised by the man's lack of a response. "_Speaking of Lux, you and her seem to be the big subject of gossip around the institute right now."_

"Oh? I couldn't tell," muttered Gareth sarcastically. As he said this, he caught yet another summoner staring at him. Taking on a more serious tone, he asked "How much does everyone know?"

Sona shrugged her shoulders. _"Compared to what you have told me, almost nothing. Most of the talk is stemming from the fact that you two went to Roana together. Nothing about the attack itself has been announced to the public, so it's mostly just rumors flying about." _As she spoke, the duo finally arrived in the Grand Hall, where several hundred Summoners were already waiting, as well as a few champions mingling about. At the front of the enormous room was a stage with a single podium, though it was unoccupied at the moment.

Sona took a moment to apologize as she collided with another person before continuing on. _"Several people have been asking me about you. The public seems rather curious. Even Carlyle asked about you, though I suspect he was hoping for bad news."_

This made Gareth grin. Carlyle was a fellow summoner of his, though fellow was a term he used lightly in this case. Aside from Sona, Carlyle was probably the person that Gareth had interacted with the most ever since joining the League, though not in an even remotely friendly manner. Known for his haughty attitude and harsh tongue, Carlyle seemed to view Gareth as his eternal adversary, though it was a rather one-sided rivalry. Why he did so was a mystery. Most speculated that it was due to the skill level of both summoners being so high. Gareth himself simply thought that the man didn't like him, because it certainly seemed that way.

"What did you tell him_?" _he inquired.

"_I told him what I have been telling everyone else: that I have no idea,"_ replied Sona. Before she could continue on though, she was interrupted by a voice that resounded throughout the Grand Hall.

"Summoners and Champions!" called out the female voice. All heads in the room turned to face the source of the voice, a tall, slim woman with long brown hair who stood at the podium onstage. She was Vessaria Kolminye, one of the three High Councilors of the League. "Thank you all for gathering here today. I have a couple of announcements to make, the first of which should be taken very seriously. As some of you probably already know, there was an incident a few days ago along the path leading to Roana. One of our very own summoners and an acquaintance of his were injured in a confrontation with four armed men."

Gareth turned to Sona, raising an eyebrow when Kolminye referred to Lux as an "acquaintance". All Sona could offer in return was a shrug of her shoulders. Turning back to face the front, Gareth listened as the High Councilor continued on.

"Because of this incident, we are asking that you all be cautious when venturing outside of the walls of the Institute, especially at night. Report any suspicious activity to Institute authorities as soon as you see it. If you suspect something is wrong, don't try to take matters into your own hands. The last thing we need is more occupied beds up in the Infirmary. I'm sure some of you were a bit peeved that Akali was unavailable at times, yes? Well that would be why." Vessaria waited a moment for the murmurs that had been rippled through the crowd to die down before continuing.

"Enough of this negativity though. Let's move on, shall we? I would like to inform you of our plans for this year's Snowdown Celebration. As always, we will be hosting several exhibition matches, beginning at the start of December next week."

This statement caused Gareth to visibly start. Confused, Sona gazed at him worriedly. _"Are you all right?"_

Gareth quickly shook his head. _"It's nothing,"_ he said, responding telepathically. _"I was just surprised that Snowdown was so close." _He was being honest; with all the time he had spent in the Infirmary, he had become lost in the chaos of it all. It was like he had been isolated from the outside world. He quickly focused his attention back to the woman at the podium as she continued to speak.

"The Summoners who participate in these matches will be hand-picked by the High Council, and those who are victorious will get a chance to participate in the Final Snowdown Match held on the 30th of December. On the final day of December, we will bid farewell to the time of Snowdown with a massive celebration. There will be a feast, an awards ceremony, and even a dance. All Summoners and champions are invited, save for a few people. You all know who you are, and if you don't, I assure you we will turn you away at the door. We don't need a repeat of the Ziggs incident from last year." This sent a mixture of laughter and groans through the crowd. It seemed that many people remembered the incident well, though the lasting impressions must have been varied from person to person. Gareth threw a questioning look Sona's way.

"_There was a big snowman in the middle of the Grand Hall, and…well it was all just a catastrophe, let's leave it at that," _she said with a mental sigh. She played a solemn, minor chord on her etwahl. _"I lost one of my best dresses on that day…"_

Slightly amused by her reply, Gareth turned and began to walk away.

"_Wait a moment, where are you going?" _questioned Sona, hurriedly drifting after him.

"She's almost done speaking, and I'd like to get out of here before tidal wave of people begins to flow," he replied as he began weaving in and out of the crowd.

"_How can you be so sure?"_

"Reading people is just one of the things I do, remember?" he answered without looking back.

Sona sighed. _"Of course. It was always so hard to keep secrets from you."_

Up at the front, Vessaria clapped her hands together. "That is all for now, so thank you very much for your time. For all the summoners and champions alike, may luck be with you on the Fields of Justice!"

The crowd of gathered people clapped politely for a few seconds before turning and slowly shuffling out of the Grand Hall, continuing on with their daily lives. Gareth and Sona were already well down the hallway, beating out the large congesting mass of people by a couple hundred feet. They had just about made it back to Gareth's room when a loud voice called out to.

"HEYYY Gary!"

Completely aware of the voice and who it belonged to, Gareth chose to ignore it, quickly fishing his key out of his pocket as the two approached the door to his room.

"_You might as well turn and acknowledge him," _said Sona.

"I'd really rather not," muttered Gareth, fumbling with the lock.

"_Too late."_

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Gareth stifled a sigh and turned around, his hands deftly unlocking the door behind his back. In front of him stood a tall man with long red hair that fell well past his shoulders. He wore summoners robes, and had a youthful face that hid behind a full, bushy beard. Gareth had little doubt that the beard was also hiding a smirk. "I thought I asked you not to call me Gary anymore, Carlyle."

"Yeah, you did," Carlyle remarked flippantly.

Gareth let a mental groan pass through to Sona, causing The Maven to turn her head and send a giggle back his way. While he tried to keep a neutral view toward everyone he met, he found it to be quite difficult with Carlyle. The man was cynical towards everyone, but always seemed particularly antagonistic towards Gareth. The two had never physically come to blows, though Carlyle had tried to provoke Gareth on several occasions. Usually though, it was simply limited to the taller man verbally abusing the quieter summoner before, during, and after matches. If Carlyle ever won a match against his supposed rival, everyone and their neighbor within shouting distance would quickly hear about it. Gareth always let the words roll off him, preferring to let his skills speak out for him.

"What do you want Carlyle?" questioned Gareth.

"Oh, nothing," replied the other man. "I just thought that I would come and let you know that the League has bumped me up a Division. I'm now in the Silver II Division. What were you again? Silver V?"

"Silver I. I got moved up a few weeks ago," responded Gareth casually. He took satisfaction in the look of anger that crossed Carlyle's face.

"Gah, whatever…" grumbled the bearded summoner. "Probably kissed ass or something…"

Gareth looked over at Sona. The sound of her laughter filled his head, yet she was keeping a straight face. He never quite understood how that was possible. It made him wonder how many times she had ever laughed at him with letting it show. Turning back to Carlyle, he decided it was time to send the other man on his way.

"If that's all you have to say to me, then I'll be going. Bye," he said, opening the door and turning to walk into his room. Before he could step forward though, he felt Carlyle grab him by the shoulder.

"Wait," commanded the tall summoner, "I still have a question."

Slightly annoyed, Gareth turned. "What is it?"

Carlyle cleared his throat. "What were you doing in Roana with Lux?"

For a moment, Gareth said nothing. He then repeated "Bye," before quickly pulling Sona into the room and closing the door, cutting short Carlyle's shout of protest. Locking the door, Gareth walked over and fell onto the couch back-first, letting out a grunt as he hit.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

The word didn't escape Sona's ears. _"What is wrong now?"_

"The last thing I need is for people to be asking me about that night. Publicity isn't my kind of thing."

The sound of a soft knock on the door caused Gareth to whip his head up. "I thought for sure he'd go away."

"_Maybe you should just ignore him_," suggested Sona.

Gareth rolled off the couch and walked to the door. "Right, ignore Carlyle. I wish I had tried that earlier…" Unlocking door, he threw it wide open. "What do you want…."

His voice drifted off as he discovered that there was nobody standing there. He began to close the door and jumped a little when he heard a soft voice mutter "Hold it." Before he could do anything, he felt something bump into him as it entered the room. Instinctively stepping to side he turned just in time to see the air before him begin to shimmer and contort, as if looking into a heat wave. A split second later, the small form of Lux appeared in front of him, those blue eyes of hers staring directly at him.

It took Gareth a few beats of staring at her before he could even muster up any words. In the end, all he could manage was a loud, "What the hell?!"

Putting a finger to her lips, the girl signaled at him to be quiet, reaching out to shut the door as the summoner continued to stare at her. When the door clicked shut, she finally addressed him.

"Hello to you too, Gareth," she laughed. "I know what you're wondering, and I have been given special permission by the Institute to leave the Infirmary early." She did a quick twirl, her golden hair flying outward as she did so. "See? All patched up."

Gareth shook his head angrily. "That's not what I'm wondering at all. What I'm wondering is why you couldn't have come through the door like a normal person instead of sneaking in and damn near scaring me to death," retorted Gareth. "If they let you out, you shouldn't have to be sneaking around your guar—oof!" He was cut off mid-sentence by a sharp jab to the ribs by the Lux, who flicked her eyes towards Sona. She had been floating there off to the side with a confused look on her face.

Having completely forgotten that the woman had been there with them, Gareth tried to find the right words to say to her. Lux's visits to his room during their stay in the infirmary had been kept a secret. He had almost let that slip. Fortunately for him, Lux spoke up.

"Hello Sona, it's so nice to see you," she said, greeting The Maven with a smile.

The Maven returned a smile of her own, though she still seemed a bit uncomfortable with the sudden intrusion. "_It is good to see you as well, Luxanna. I'm glad to see that you have recovered," _she said, projecting her voice so that both Gareth and Lux could hear._ " What brings you here?"_

"I actually came here because I needed to speak to Gareth," replied the young mage. "I don't mean to intrude, but it is rather important. It will only take a few moments."

Sona nodded. "_Of course. I will be in the dining hall if you need me Gareth." _Then, to just him she added, _"You two are so cute together." _

Gareth shot a glare her way, to which she simply responded to by winking before drifting out of the room, strumming a melody on her etwahl as she went. Gareth closed the door and sighed. "Sometimes I really think she is my sister with all her teasing."

Lux shrugged her shoulders. "At least you have a brother-sister relationship that's slightly normal," she said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Ah, that's right." He had forgotten about the rockiness in her relationship with her own brother. Sorry. Anyway, do you mind telling me why you had to walk in the way you did?"

"There's two reasons I did so, actually," answered Lux, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "The first reason is so that people around the Institute didn't see me entering your room. There's a whole bunch of rumors are flying around about us, and I saw no reason to fuel them. I think some people have already caught on that we were the two who were caught in the incident outside of Roana."

Gareth nodded. It made sense. "Ok, so what's the second reason?"

"That will take a bit more time to explain," said the girl. She walked over to the couch and sat down on one side, indicating for Gareth to sit next to her. Feeling a bit strange being invited to sit on his own furniture, Gareth opted to sit in one of the chairs, propping his feet up on the coffee table. This seemed to make Lux hesitate, but only for a moment. "Today a message came from my brother. He told me that some recent developments have been made in the investigation on our assailants. Apparently, he wants to speak with me in person."

Gareth leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. Things still weren't making any sense to him. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"The Demacian government views you as a key witness in this case," stated Lux. "Whatever they've uncovered in the investigation must've been big, because they want to place you under Demacian watch. The thing is, they want all of this done as quietly as possible. The less the public knows, the better. That's why I swung by. As one of Demacia's foremost experts in stealth and covert operations, it's my job to get you out of here quickly and quietly."

It finally dawned on Gareth what was being said by the girl, and it must have shown, because Lux broke out in a wide grin. "That's right Gareth, pack your bags. We're going to Demacia."

* * *

**Author's note: Hooray! Chapter 7! Not the most eventful, I know, but this one really gets the plot rolling. Now I feel that I should inform my readers that I have recently started back up in college. Whether or not this translates into slower updating, I can't say for sure. I've found that it all depends on how much material I manage to come up with, not how much time I put in. So as always, Leave a review, good or bad, that's what they're for. If you see any errors, please PM me right away so that I may fix them. And if my friend Lordhippoman is reading this: DRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!**

**There ya' go buddy. **


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"No."

The words left Gareth's lips without hesitation, his expression a stern one. Lux blinked, then frowned.

"What do you mean 'no'?" she asked, sounding a bit upset.

Gareth stood up and walked to the doorway of his bedroom, stopping to lean against the door frame. "I didn't stutter. I'm not going unless Demacia makes me. I belong here. I'm a summoner." He turned to face her. "It's not mandatory that I leave, correct?"

A downcast look fell across Lux's face. Avoiding Gareth's gaze she spoke softly. "No, it's not."

She looked at her feet for a few seconds, but then a look of determination crossed her face and she sat up straighter. A new light burned fiercely in her eyes, a light that Gareth had seen once before in her.

"Honestly though, would it really kill you to go?" she argued. "I know that you can't participate in any matches due to your stay in the infirmary, so you're not going to be missing much staying here. I'm in the same boat. You'd be safe, and the government would provide you with everything you need. It's not like this was my idea. This was sanctioned by Prince Jarvan IV himself."

Gareth simply shrugged his shoulders. Even if the Prince was backing such a plan, he still saw no reason to go. "I have everything I need right here," he said, making a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Why should I leave?"

Lux sighed with exasperation. Now she too was standing. Angrily, she walked straight up to Gareth and poked a finger at his chest. "You were nearly killed a few nights ago. You call that safe? You would have been dead if I hadn't shown up, and you know it."

Dark brown eyes locked onto crystal blue ones, and for a moment, all was silent. Gareth, however, was the first to falter. Looking away, he took a step back and crossed his arms. He knew that she was absolutely right. He owed her his life, and then some. He opened his mouth to argue, but stopped when he realized something. While most of him didn't want to leave the walls of the place he called home, a small part of him _did _want to. Looking back up to meet the girls gaze once again, he asked, "Why do you insist that I go?"

It was Lux's turn to cross her arms. "You are a vital part of this investigation Gareth. If something were to happen to you, the whole thing could go under."

Gareth's eyes narrowed. He could tell that she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he pretended to be satisfied with the answer. "Wouldn't people notice that I was gone though? How do you plan on covering up that?"

Lux let a small smile play onto her face. "Simple. As far as everyone else knows, you're going to be on vacation somewhere in Ionia. The Demacian Government already has the Leagues full cooperation and approval for us to take you out of here. The High council will handle your cover."

Gareth studied the young blonde's face, looking for clues as to why she seemed to be pushing for him to go. It took him a moment, but he could tell by the look in her eyes. _'She wants me to go,' _he thought. _'Not for Demacia's sake, but for her own. Is she afraid of being alone? No, that can't be it.'_ He was tempted to ask her, but held his tongue. Instead, he let his arm's drop to his side, showing her that he was admitting defeat.

"Fine," he said, tacking a somewhat forced sigh on. Strangely, he felt satisfied with the decision, but he didn't dare let it show. Perhaps inside, he truly did want to accompany Lux.

_Probably just to get out for once, _he mused. It would be safer for him as well. The Demacians weren't known for being slouches when it came to guard duty.

Lux's normally bright eyes seemed to shine brighter. "Brilliant! I'll give you a little bit of time to pack, and then we can be on our way."

Gareth turned and walked into his bedroom. "Oh, it won't take long," he stated. Kneeling down, he felt around under his bed for a few seconds before coming back up with a rucksack in hand. It was a bit dusty looking and the shoulder straps were a bit worn from use, but the stitching and material still looked sturdy. Gareth grabbed a few sets of clothes and stuffed them haphazardly into the bag. Lux walked in, raising an eyebrow in amusement as she watched the man throw wads of clothing into the bag.

Continuing his packing, Gareth spoke to her without losing focus on his current task. "I assume you have all of the necessary supplies for us, like food and water?

Lux nodded. "Yep. The plan is for you to go ahead and walk northeast toward Piltover for a while, at least until you are out of anyone's sight. Don't worry, I'll be close behind you the entire time. From there, we'll go to Demacia together. Make sense?"

"Yeah," spoke Gareth, remembering how the girl had walked into his room completely invisible. Done packing, he kneeled back down and began once again to rummage around under his bed. "So how do you plan on us actually getting to Demacia?"

It was a good question. From single horse-drawn wagons to high horsepower Hextech machines, Valoran was full of different modes of travel. While most city-states and regions primarily used horses and other mounts, the more technologically advanced cities, such as Zaun or Piltover, were turning to faster moving machines for movement.

Lux shrugged. "I haven't really thought ahead that far."

Gareth stopped, turning to look at her. If the girl was so brilliant, how could she not have a plan. "So," he said, speaking deliberately, "let me get this straight. You are pulling me away from the place that I have called home for months to take me to another city several hundreds of miles away, and yet you don't even know how we're going to get there?"

To his surprise, the girl took a defensive stance on the matter. "I just got the message an hour ago, so lay off, alright? They want you and me there as soon as possible, so we're going to do this on the fly." She paused, then flashed a mischievous grin at him. "It's not really my style to do things without planning ahead, but it ought to be more fun this way, right?" she asked with a wink.

Gareth stared and then slowly shook his head as he went back to searching under his bed. "Unbelievable," he muttered. Still, he couldn't help but let loose the slightest of grins. Perhaps this was what he needed. A little time away never hurt, or so he had heard.

After a few more seconds of rummaging, he finally felt what he had been looking for. Pulling the object out from under the bed frame, he brushed off the heavy layer of dust that had settled on top of it. It was a heavy metal strongbox, about 6 inches wide and 20 inches long. Secured by a combination lock, it looked old, but sturdy. Gareth shook it and was greeted by a dull metallic clank.

Lux peered over Gareth's shoulder at the box, her usual playfulness overtaken by curiosity. "I have a feeling you won't tell me, but what's in there?"

Gareth took the box and placed it in his pack, having to rearrange some of his clothes to make it fit. He took a second to think about his response before simply saying, "Memories. Just some old memories."

"Ah," breathed Lux.

Gareth could tell that she was a little disappointed by his response, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he closed his pack and lifted it onto his bed, standing up. "Yeah, don't worry about it," he reassured. "It's just not something I want to leave behind." Brushing past her, he walked towards the door. "There's one more thing I need to do and then we can leave."

"Talk to Sona?"

Gareth turned. He had to admit, it was hard to slip things by the young girl. It was no wonder that she had been one of Demacia's elite operatives. "If you don't mind," he confessed. "I'm sure it would make my story more believable if I had someone to cover for me and, well, she's the only person I really talk to. Other than you that is."

The girl stood for a moment, pondering the request. "Technically, this is a covert military operation, albeit a small one. If the prince found out that I let you tell someone who isn't involved about our plans, we could both be put away for a few years."

Gareth shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not worried. "That's why the prince isn't going to find out, right?"

Lux paused for a moment more before raising her hand up in front of her, spreading out all five fingers. "You have five minutes. That's all. If you take too long, this ship's setting sail without you." The look on her face was one of all business, but even through the stony expression, Gareth could see that ever-present gleam of playfulness in Lux's eyes.

He nodded at her in understanding. "Thanks."

* * *

Gareth quickly found Sona without much difficulty. True to her word, she had been seated in the Dining Hall, strumming away at her Etwahl as others gathered around to listen. The beautiful music could be heard even over the hustle and bustle of the busy Dining Hall. Gareth couldn't help but chuckle. Even in a cafeteria, the woman could put on a performance. As soon as she had finished serenading her audience, he had quietly pulled her aside and explained the situation to her, away from any open ears.

"_To Demacia?" _she asked. _"How long will you be gone?"_

"I don't have a clue. I guess until all of this mess blows over." Gareth paused, running his hands through his hair and exhaling sharply through pursed lips. "Not that I have a clue what exactly 'this mess' is," he said with a small laugh. "I just hope I can get back to living a normal life soon. I didn't join the League for this kind of excitement."

The maven stepped close and embraced him, resting her head on his shoulder like she had so many times in their past. _"Whatever choice you make, I will respect it. All I need is a promise. Promise me that you will return safe and sound."_

Gareth returned the hug, speaking softly as he did so. "Of course. Besides, if there's anything we've learned from the past few days, it's that I'm rather resilient." Quiet laughter drifted through his mind in response.

"_I suppose that's true," _replied Sona. Releasing her hold on him, she clasped his hand in both of hers. _"Well, I don't want to keep you from your journey. Be safe, Gareth."_

Gareth gave the woman's hand a comforting squeeze, a sign of reassurance and promise. "I will. Just remember, if anyone asks—"

"_You're on vacation in Ionia, I know. I know how important this is, so don't worry. I'll keep your secret for you. I wish you the best of luck, Gareth," _she said with a gentle smile.

Gareth pulled her back in for one last, quick hug. "Thanks, Sona. I'll see you around." Then, turning on his heel, he walked away. Sona watched him go, a slight flutter of emotion rising within her. She shook her head, laughing to herself. "_Oh Gareth," _she thought to herself, "_even all grown up, I still have to worry about you. It would seem that these things never change."_

* * *

Forty minutes later, Gareth was walking along a dirt path, the cool, crisp afternoon air being held at bay by his heavy traveling cloak. When he had returned to his room after explaining his plans to Sona, he had greeted not by Lux, but by a note left on his coffee table.

It had read: _It's been 6 minutes, slowpoke. See you outside. _

The playful nature of the note had made Gareth begin to question his decision, but he let it slide. He wasn't the kind of person to back out of agreements so easily, so he had picked up his pack and left.

Heading northeast just as Lux had instructed, he had been walking alone for a while now. Most of the snow on the ground from the previous snowfall had melted away, though clumps of it could still be seen littering the sides of the path. The path was bordered on either side by forest, scenery that made him a bit paranoid. It took him back to the night where he and Lux had been ambushed. The pain, the fear, it all made him a bit more cautious. He made sure to keep his eyes and ears open. One could never be sure what lurked beyond the trees.

Despite all of his attention being focused on his surroundings, he was still unable to stop what happened next. Walking in complete silence, he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. Due to both his higher than average reflexes and raging paranoia, he whirled around, ready to lay into whatever it was that was sneaking up on him. To his surprise, his vision was greeted by an empty path stretching before him. Sighing, he relaxed and took one step forward. Then, he reached out with a hand and poked at the air directly in front of his face. He grinned when he felt his finger connect with something solid.

"Ow!" The exclamation seemed to come from nothing, a cry carried by the wind. Gareth watched as the air in front of him shimmered, revealing Lux, who he had managed to jab right in the middle of the forehead. She wore a light-gray cloak, the hood pulled over her bright blonde hair. On her back she carried a pack, similar in size to the one that Gareth himself was carrying.

The girl brushed the man's finger hand away, seemingly a little upset at being discovered so easily. "Was that really necessary?" she questioned, rubbing her forehead.

Gareth took a step back and crossed his arms. "Please don't do that," he growled. As the girl looked away in apparent shame, he let his expression soften. "They say the human heart only has so many beats in it. No need to speed up the inevitable, right?"

Lux laughed lightly at this. "I suppose not," she agreed. She then hoisted the pack off of her back and opened it, holding it out for Gareth to see its contents. "There's enough food and water here to last us for a few days," she said.

Gareth frowned. Demacia was hundreds of miles away. How would that last them? He was about to ask, but the girl beat him to it with an answer.

"I can tell by your expression what you're thinking, and there's no need to worry. I got in contact with an old friend in Roana, and he has offered to teleport us most of the way there for free. He also has some more supplies for us that may come in handy."

_Ah,_ thought Gareth. _Clever girl. However…_

"Teleportation involves some pretty high level magic, and from what I've heard it can be dangerous," he stated. "We do it in the League all the time during matches, but our magical abilities are amplified by the Nexus. Are you sure your friend can handle it?"

Lux smiled. "Of course he can. I'm well aware of the dangers that are presented by it, and I have the utmost confidence in him. You've met him before, by the way."

This last statement confused Gareth. "I have?" When Lux nodded, Gareth furrowed his brow thinking deeply. She had never really introduced him to anyone, except….

"Dominick?" he said, a bit bewildered. "The host at the Demacian Standard?"

Lux giggled at his expression. "Yep, he's the one," she confirmed. "He's a bit more than he appears, believe it or not. But that's a story for later." Turning, she pointed to the woods to her right. "We'll circle back around to the town through there to avoid being seen and enter through the east gate. That way we hopefully won't run into any summoners who would recognize us. Simple enough, right?"

Gareth nodded, pulling his hood up over his head. "Let's go."

Quietly, the two moved into the woods, both moving as silently as Twin Shadows. It took nearly an hour before the edge of the forest appeared, and the sun was beginning to set. Peering through the trees, the duo could make out the eastern entrance to Roana. Lux knelt down behind a tree at the forest's edge, motioning for Gareth to do the same. Coming to a rest next to her, he had to try hard not to let her see his increased breathing. She had been quick, and he had to give all he had just to keep up with her while remaining silent. He had made noise from snapping twigs and crunching leaves twice. Judging by what he had heard, or rather had not, the girl next to him had made no such mistakes.

"Alright," whispered Lux, tugging her hood down to let her golden hair flow out. "It's probably best for me to go invisible since I'm more well-known. Dominick told me to meet him around the back of the restaurant. Do you think you can get there from here?"

Gareth nodded, confident that he could find the restaurant on his own. "I'll be fine."

"Good. I'll be right behind you." Pausing, the girl watched as a few people walked along the path into the town, laughing merrily the whole way. A few seconds after they were gone, she whispered to Gareth. "Alright, it's clear. Go now."

Wordlessly, Gareth slipped from his cover in the woods and walked onto the path, pulling his hood a little lower to cover his face. All was quiet except the noise coming from Roana, so he had to trust that the girl was right behind him.

Making his way into town, he walked the cobbled streets, quickly navigating his way through the maze of alleys and marketplaces while keeping his head low. Relying solely on his sense of direction, he quickly found the Demacian Standard. Careful not to look up at the building's magnificence and reveal his face, he hurried his way through an alley to the back of the restaurant. By now, it was dark, with only a little bit of light from the streetlamps shining down the alleyway. Oddly, even the rear of the building looked gorgeous, something that puzzled Gareth a bit. The back door was just as well-crafted as the front one was. Not stopping to dwell on the seemingly wasted effort on appearance, he whispered out into the darkness. "Are you still with me?"

To his relief, he heard the soft voice of Lux respond. "I'm still here. Go ahead and knock."

Gareth stepped up and gave the door two soft raps. Almost immediately, the door inched open, swinging silently on its oiled hinges. The familiar old face of Dominick came into view.

"I'm assuming Lady Luxanna is accompanying you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm right here, Dominick." A moment later, Lux phased into view, her hair contrasting sharply with the darkness around them. "It's good to see you again. Thank you so much for helping us."

The older man smiled at her. "Oh, it's no problem at all. Anything for you, Luxanna. Come inside."

Following Lux inside, Gareth was surprised by what he saw. He had been expecting to maybe be in a kitchen or a back room, but he instead found himself looking up at bookshelves that reached twenty feet above him to the ceiling. It was a library, and a pretty large one at that. Everywhere the summoner looked, all he could see were books of all sorts and sizes. They were even piled up on the floor, some in neat pyramids while others were simply in heaps.

Noting the summoner's awe, Dominick chuckled. "As you can probably deduce, I like to keep up to date on my literature, Gareth. You'll find that I am quite the knowledgeable man." Walking over to a stack of books, he picked one up opened it. Flipping through the pages, he continued speaking. "I'm sorry if I came off as a bit rude when we first met, but Luxanna says you can be trusted." He stopped to read a page, looking up a few seconds later. "This is the one. Now, if you two wouldn't mind standing right over there," he instructed, pointing to a relatively clear spot on the floor.

As the two stood on the spot, Gareth turned and murmured to Lux. "So what's it like to be teleported?" While he had teleported Champions numerous times on the Fields of Justice, he had never been teleported himself.

Lux scratched her head, as if trying to find the words to describe it. "Well, it's a bit hard to describe. But I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you now would I?"

Gareth sighed. "Of course you wouldn't."

The pair's attention went back to Dominick when the man cleared his throat. "Alright Luxanna, this spell should put you about one hundred miles east of Demacia. I've arranged for supplies to be at your teleport location when you arrive."

Gareth once again turned to Lux, this time cocking an eyebrow. "He's no restaurant host. Is he an agent of Demacia?" he asked flat-out.

In response, all the girl did was put a finger to her lips and deliver a "Shhhh!" along with a wink. It was all the explanation that was needed.

"Now then, I haven't done this in a while," explained the old man. "Hopefully all goes well, and no limbs are lost along the way. Are you two ready?"

Despite the possibility of losing a leg, Lux and Gareth both nodded.

Dominick, reading from the book he held, began to chant. As he did so, purple runes began to appear, the spectral figures flowing forth from around the man and moving towards the pair standing nearby. Slowly, the runes began to whirl around the two, moving faster and faster. From beneath the duo's feet, rings of light exploded outward several feet, then slowly began to shrink back inwards.

To Gareth, it all looked familiar yet alien at the same time. He wasn't use to seeing such magic cast outside of the Fields of Justice.

It was an odd feeling. Despite all the flurry of activity, the only noise that could be heard was the chanting from Dominick. Then, the room fell silent as old man ended the chant, closing his book with a sharp _CLAP. _Bowing, he spoke to his two younger guests. "The deed is done. Stay safe you two."

Gareth opened his mouth to voice his thanks, but was stopped short when he felt arms wrap around his waist. Turning his head, he saw that Lux had drawn herself closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Better hold on tight," she said softly, her eyes closed. "Who knows how this may turn out?"

To his own surprise, Gareth seemed fine with this. Wrapping one of his own arms around the young light mage's shoulders, he spoke. "Is this really necessary?" he asked to no one in particular.

Standing in front of the pair, Dominick chuckled. His eyes seemed to go a bit misty as he answered the summoner's question. "No, Gareth. Not at all."

Gareth looked down once more at the girl who clung to him. Caught in her trap once again. Closing his eyes, he let his head rest on top of hers. As he did so, he thought he heard her gasp softly, though he wasn't quite sure.

As the rings of light on the floor prepared to close in on the two and send them on their way, Gareth only had one thought floating through his mind.

_This girl…_

And then they were gone.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**And so the adventure begins! I'm quite excited for these next few chapters, and hopefully you all are too. As I write this, I realize that this story is going to be miles longer than I anticipated, and honestly, I'm alright with that. College so far is pretty easy (knock on wood) so hopefully I can keep releasing at least 1 per month. No promises though. As always, feel free to leave a review, whether it be a "Good Job" or a "THIS IS TERRIBLE" (leave a reason for either though please so I know what I'm doing right/wrong.) Also, if you see any errors, please PM me to let me know so I can fix them. I can't wait to release my next chapter, but until then, enjoy!**


End file.
